Out of the Sea
by Jo-9tails
Summary: They say that the prince was bonded to a boy who wasn't what he appeared &that another boy who saved the kingdom vanished without a trace.Some said it was witchcraft.Some said it was only a legend.For those who knew the truth,it was magic.3x4,1x2.FINISHED
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: All characters mentioned belong in the animé series Gundam Wing. The plot is taken from the book _Midnight Pearls _by Debbie Viguié. So ALL credit goes to her. Please don't sue me…?

Mermen are generally considered uglier and by far less kindly than mermaids. They have no interest in mankind, unlike mermaids who often try to seduce human males, and are known for starting huge storms and drowning ships in ire and revenge if a mermaid is hurt. However, "Benwell... describes the Scandinavian Merman or Havmand as a handsome creature with a green or black beard, living on cliffs and shore hills as well as in the sea, and says that he was regarded as "a beneficent creature." Some Mermen though, would warn of danger and be helpful, or even bring young sailor men down beneath the sea with them, where the men would either drown or live in blissful happiness, "depending on their captor's attitude"

Summary: _A mermaid story like never before. _They say that the prince was bonded to a boy who was not what he appeared and that another boy who saved the kingdom vanished without a trace. Some said it was witchcraft. Some said it was only a legend. For those who knew the truth, it was magic… (eventual 3x4 and 1x2)

**Out of the Sea**

By _Ninetails_

Prologue

_It should have been the happiest day of his life, but instead it was a living nightmare. Quatre slowly fingered the fabric of his pale blue frock and closed his eyes. Fat tears that managed to escape his frayed control squeezed out from beneath his eyelids and rolled down his cheeks._

_The gong of the temple began to sound. It was resonating for him. Its keening was his death sentence, its steady beat his death march. He felt himself begin to shake. Today was the last day of his freedom, his last taste of joy. He opened his eyes and stared down at his boots. They gleamed softly in polished brilliance, mocking him. Today was supposed to be the happiest day of his life, for today he would be bonded._

_He looked back upon his life and saw how every step had led him here. Where had it all gone wrong? What could he have changed?_

_He closed his eyes again and prayed for death. _

TBC

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

A short prologue, I know. Chapter 1 will be up soon, probably next year? I feel so out of sorts right now (probably has to do with the fact that finals week is next week!) Nah, really, I've been depressed these past few days. Oh well.

Okay, title was changed from "Midnight Pearls" to "Out of the Sea." I just felt like it...

* * *

And now, these are just last words to some reviewers of mine. If they don't get to read these, oh well.

To **Lost-Remembrance **Err... Nope, Heero isn't Quatre's brother. He's... someone more. Yeah, Norse mythology IS okay, and I'm really hooked in with their fairly weird names. I also like Indian myth, although their beliefs are... well... Strange. You think it was okay! Thanks SO much! Thanks too for the wonderfully LONG review! (huggles)

To **IchigoPocky**Thank youfor stating the obvious.


	2. Part 1

Disclaimer: All characters mentioned belong in the animé series Gundam Wing. The plot is taken from the book _Midnight Pearls _by Debbie Viguié. Please don't sue me…?

Summary: _A mermaid story like never before. _They say that the prince was bonded to a boy who was not what he appeared and that another boy who saved the kingdom vanished without a trace. Some said it was witchcraft. Some said it was only a legend. For those who knew the truth, it was magic… (eventual 3x4 and 1x2)

**Out of the Sea**

By _Ninetails_

Chapter 1

The fisherman sat quietly in his boat staring at the darkening skies. The sun should have stood directly overhead, marking midday, but instead it was obscured by angry clouds that seemed to grow thicker by the moment. He squinted, staring at the horizon. The leathery skin of his face crinkled around his hazel eyes. A storm was coming up fast, too fast. A stiff wind suddenly sprang to life, roaring across the bow of the boat and bringing with it the unmistakable smell of rain. It was time to head for shore.

The fish had been acting strange all day, nervous, as though there was a predator lurking in the darkening water. He had been out since noon, and not a single one had found its way into his nets. Still, he had seen the dancing shadows and quick flashes of silver that indicated their presence. He quickly pulled the woven rope nets in and secured them.

A raindrop splattered on his nose and a shiver danced up his spine. _Rashid_, he thought, _you'd better get yourself home fast._

No sooner had he picked up the oars and began to row that the heavens let loose. The ocean began to heave, and it was all he could do to keep his tiny boat from capsizing.

He strained at the oars with all his might. He had never seen a storm come up so quickly. He should have had time to make it home before the weather became this bad. His arms began to ache with the strain of fighting the waves. A huge one bore down on him, and he saw it through the rain, but it was too late to turn the boat. It crested over the bow and filled the tiny vessel with water.

He had always been careful, always respected the sea not only for what it could give but also for what it could take. He had lost his father and his two brothers to its wrath. His was a family of fishermen eking out a living from the sea. But the sea was a fickle mistress. He remembered the storm that had taken the lives of the other men in his family. Still, he, too, had gone to the sea for his livelihood. It was all he knew.

As wave after wave continued to crash down upon him, he knew that his time had come at last. The sea would claim him this day, and he would never see his beloved Quaterina again. he whispered a desperate chant to the Light, and another to King Neptune for good measure. Padan, the High Priest, would not be happy about that, but he wasn't there to take offense.

A short distance ahead of him, he saw a light shimmering in the water that grew brighter as he watched. Was it the Angel of Death coming to take him? He briefly thought about trying to go around the spot. He was too tired, though, to waste his strength rowing the extra distance. _And if it is the Angel of Death, _he reasoned, _he'll find me whether I turn the boat or not_. He kept his course, and moments later he was right above the light. He stared down into the water but could see nothing.

_Cast your nets_, a voice whispered in his head. Without thinking, Rashid scurried to comply, heaving the nets over the side and dropping them down into the light. Something heavy caught in them, and he feared that between the weight and the raging of the ocean, the ropes would snap. He began to pull them in. At last something broke the surface of the water.

Rashid gasped as the small face of a child looked up at him. He had enormous eyes that shone dark against his pale skin. His gold hair floated on the water, each long strand glimmering with a greenish light- the glow that he had seen. The child was caught in his net, and he heaved him into the boat. The child sat very still, the blinking of his eyes the only sign of life.

The fisherman quickly untangled him from the net until he sat naked and shivering in the bottom of the tiny vessel. Rashid peeled off his coat and wrapped it around him. For a moment, he forgot the wind and waves and storm as he stared at the child. _What had Master Padan read from the Scriptures that morning? "I will make you fishers of men."_

He smiled reassuringly at the child as he picked up his oars. "We are going to make it, you and I." The child just blinked his enormous eyes.

The Light, King Neptune- someone had sent the child to him. He couldn't let him die in the storm. That conviction gave him the will to keep pulling at the oars. At last after what seemed like an eternity, the wind swept aside a curtain of the rain and he caught a glimpse of the shore. His heart lifted at the sight, and he pulled on the oars with renewed strength.

Finally they hit the beach. He scrambled out of the boat and began to try to pull it backward onto the sand. Rashid fell to his knees, a sob escaping him. He was too weak. He felt his fingers beginning to slip from the bow when, suddenly, strong hands closed over his and lent their strength. Together they pulled the ship backward up onto the beach.

Rashid collapsed onto the sand, gasping and looked up to see his wife. His heart filled at the sight of her face, beautiful in his eyes. "Quaterina, I thought I'd never see you again."

"And I you," she answered.

He gestured to the boat. "I brought you something."

She looked in and gasped softly. "Oh my."

* * *

They made it to the house and barred the door against the lashing rain. Rashid peeled off his wet clothes, depositing them in a heap by the fire and changing into dry ones while Quaterina wrapped the child in a warm blanket. She sat down with him by the fire and lifted a lock of his wet hair. Rashid noticed that the glow from the child's hair was slowly fading.

He shivered and muttered a silent chant. Still, as he looked into the little boy's enormous eyes, he couldn't see any evil lurking in them. _If he isn't of the devil, then he has to be from the Creator._ He nodded slowly. He was the Light's gift to his Quaterina, who had no child of her own. He placed a hand on Quaterina's shoulder.

When Quaterina looked up at him, he had no answers for the questions in her eyes. They stared at each other for several minutes before she broke the silence.

"I thought you might be dead," she croaked, her voice hoarse.

"I nearly was," he admitted as he took a seat beside her. "Then I found him - out there in the water. I knew then that I was going to live and that the Light wanted me to bring him home - to you."

Quaterina gently stroked the boy's hair. "He can't be more than four years old. What do you think he was doing out there by himself?"

Rashid shook his head. "I don't know."

The boy stirred in Quaterina's arms and stretched his small hand out towards the fire. His skin was pale, deathly pale. Rashid felt his heart begin to pound. For a moment, when the child's hand was up in front of the fire, he imagined that he'd been able to see right through the skin, through his very hand, to see the fire glowing on the other side.

He shook his head to clear it. _I'm exhausted, and a trick of the light sent my imagination on a flight of fancy. That is all. _But beside him he heard Quaterina gasp, and when she turned to him with fearful eyes, he knew that it was no trick and that she had seen it too.

"Wh-what is he?"

He met Quaterina's eyes. "I don't know and I don't think we want to know."

She nodded slowly, and a silent agreement stretched between them. The child looked up at them questioningly. He stretched out his other hand from beneath the blanket. It was balled into a tight fist. Something dark shone through the cracks between his fingers.

"What have you got, little one?" Rashid asked, reaching gently to take his small hand. He pushed at his fingers, and reluctantly, his small fist began to open.

There in his palm was the largest pearl Rashid had ever seen. It was a shiny, midnight blue color and was almost perfectly round. He had never seen anything like it.

His small fingers balled around it, and his hand disappeared back beneath the blanket.

His wife started to rock the child gently in her arms, lulling him to sleep. "What shall we name him?"

Rashid looked into her chestnut eyes. "I think we'll call him Quatre," he said with a smile.

* * *

Two days later the storm had passed, but the destruction it had left in its wake was staggering. Villages up and down the coast had been destroyed, some of them completely. Worse, several hundred people had been killed.

As Rashid sat beside Quaterina in the temple that morning, he fervently thanked the Light for the safety they had enjoyed. Only a couple of people from their village had lost their lives. The High Priest solemnly prayed for their souls. In front of Rashid the town blacksmith, Thomas, together with his daughter bowed their heads in sorrow. His wife had been one of those who was lost.

Rashid felt guilty for his and Quaterina's happiness in the face of so much sorrow. Happy they were, though, for little Quatre sat between them. The storm that had brought him to them had made it easy to explain his sudden presence. They had simply told everyone that he was the child of a distant cousin in another village who had been killed in the storm.

That had satisfied the others, although it hadn't stopped them from casting puzzled looks at Quatre. Rashid closed a hand around Quatre's protectively. Maybe with time the sun would tan his unnaturally pale skin, and as he continued to grow, surely he would grow into his long legs.

Quatre looked up at him with his wide, turquoise eyes and asked him a question. He had no way to answer him, though. Whatever language it was he spoke was foreign to him. He thought it might be an eastern dialect, but he wasn't sure.

Rashid just shook his head and squeezed his little hand. They were working on teaching him their own language. He just prayed they would be able to communicate quickly before it became too much of a problem.

Quaterina turned to look at him and he smiled to hide his concern. He couldn't help but be afraid. Quatre was different; he wasn't sure how or why, but he did know the people of his village. They didn't tolerate anyone or anything that was different. Only five years earlier an angry mob had seized a woman, a traveling gypsy, accused her of Witchcraft, and burned her at the stake. He shuddered at the memory. _And there was nothing I could do to stop it._

He gripped Quatre's hand even tighter until the child began to wriggle his fingers. He had had a nightmare about the villagers trying to do the same to Quatre and him not being able to reach him. He had awoken screaming and soaked in sweat. He had lied to Quaterina for the first time in his life, telling her he didn't remember the dream. he had vowed, lying there, shivering and praying, that he would do everything in his power to keep them from hurting Quatre. He just continued to smile at Quaterina, who had enough to worry about without hearing his fears.

When the ceremony was over, he picked Quatre up into his arms. He hadn't yet seemed to master walking. He was trying, but he just went skittering on his long limbs, wobbling back and forth and landing in a heap time after time. _He just needs to grow into his legs, _Rashid thought.

Quatre wrapped his tiny arms around his neck and looked up at him. He asked him what sounded like a question. His tiny voice lilted as though he was singing. Rashid just shook his head and kissed his brow.

The boy held his pearl out to him and Rashid kissed it as well. Quaterina had secured it with a piece of rope and a loop so that Quatre could wear the shiny orb around his neck. The child laughed up at him. His laughter, at least, he could understand.

* * *

That night, Rashid sat bolt upright in bed, awakened by a keening sound that split the stillness and reverberated in the air. Chills danced up and down his spine, and fear touched his heart. Beside him, Quaterina sprang from the bed, grabbing for her shawl. They glanced to the bed where Quatre should have been, but it was empty. A hard knot settled in the bottom of his stomach.

They exchanged frightened glances and began to search the cabin. They found the child moments later sitting in the kitchen. He was surrounded by dead fish that were scattered about on the kitchen floor. He must have pulled them off the counter and unwrapped them from their protective coverings.

The stench of death was strong, and an unnatural sound was coming from Quatre. He stared up at them and pointed to a dead fish and then to Rashid. His heart began to pound as he realized that he was blaming him for its death.

Quaterina knelt down and folded the boy in his arms. "Those are fish. We eat the fish so that we can be strong," she tried to explain.

Quatre began to cry and Quaterina just held him, clearly not knowing what to say. Finally she looked up at Rashid, and he saw the tears shimmering on her cheeks as well. "Clean up the fish and hide them," she instructed him. "We'll keep them out of his sight, at least for now."

Nodding, Rashid did as he was told. The sound of the child's cries echoed inside his head, continuing long after he had fallen asleep in Quaterina's arms. It had been a completely unnatural sound, unlike anything he had ever heard.

TBC

* * *

Author's Notes:

Sigh… me again. I think some explanations are due. Let me warn everyone out there that this is an AU/Fantasy fic and that's why most of the characters are OOC. Err… Okay, okay, it's my fault for being stupid. Note the fact that the villagers' religious culture is a bit different from the normal Catholic one. Why? Well, in the previous religion, yaoi marriages are not permitted, so you could see my dilemma in creating this fic. Just keep in mind that though there are many similarities to a medieval setting, this fic is sometime long ago where kings rule the land and same-sex marriages (or in this case, bonding) is permitted and quite rampant too(snicker). Uh, oops, I think that was a spoiler. If everything is unclear in this chapter, just wait for the answer in the succeeding chapters.

As for Quaterina… well, in some fics, this was used for Quatre's mother's name. So, I took the liberty of using it too. If this is owned by anyone, then this serves as my disclaimer. No need to ask _what _fairy tale I've ripped this plot from, ne? I'm sure it is painfully familiar for all of you although... a few twists and turns are bound to be in this story. Next chapter will be posted in a week or 10.

I am SO embarrassed! I actually posted the prologue in Hana Yori Dango! I do NOT know how that happened! The category that I highlighted yesterday was Gundam Wing, darn it! (I could just curl up and die right now). Oh well.

To: **leleppane**If you ever get to read this, thanks for reviewing! Yup, the book is SO cute!

To: **ming-chan**Nope, I'm not doing a crossover. Thanks SO much for pointing that out to me! I am SO embarrassed with my stupidity. Arrghh!


	3. Part 2

Disclaimer: All characters mentioned belong in the animé series Gundam Wing. The plot is taken from the book _Midnight Pearls _by Debbie Viguié. So ALL credit goes to her. Please don't sue me…?

Summary: _A mermaid story like never before. _They say that the prince was bonded to a boy who was not what he appeared and that another boy who saved the kingdom vanished without a trace. Some said it was witchcraft. Some said it was only a legend. For those who knew the truth, it was magic… (eventual 3x4 and 1x2)

Warnings: Complete OOCness of major characters. A surprise visit from a totally unexpected "pilot," and this'll be my last update for quite a while. It's Finals week starting today (Monday) and next week, we're going to our province for a family reunion. Since said province has a minimum chance of having net connections… well, you know what I mean. Be back to post some more chappies before the end of March. Ja and happy reading!

**Out of the Sea**

By _Ninetails_

Chapter 2

_Quaterina came, her face wet with tears, to tell Quatre it was time. His consort was waiting for him. Quatre began to cry as well, wanting to run, but knowing that he could not.

* * *

_

THIRTEEN YEARS LATER

The hairs on the back of his neck tingled, and Quatre turned his head toward the street. He willed his legs to move forward even as someone beside him cried out. A horse was running out of control, with a cart careening crazily behind the beast. The owner was chasing behind, shouting curses at the animal. Directly in the path of the horse and cart was a small boy playing with a worm he had found in the dirt.

Quatre stumbled on a slightly raised mound of earth but regained his footing. He stretched out his arms and snatched the child, pulling him out of the way. With the child in his arms, he stumbled backwards and fell, sprawled in the dirt in front of the vegetable cart where he had been shopping.

He lay still for a moment, his heart thudding painfully in his chest. The little boy began to struggle and cry, and his mother rushed to pick him up. Slowly, Quatre sat up and began to scramble to his feet. He straightened his shirt and beat at his trousers, trying to get the dirt out. Realizing it was a futile task, he gave up and picked up his basket from where he had dropped it. His mother would not approve him getting the food dirty. After finally allowing him to take up her chore of shopping, Quatre felt it a duty to bring her as much quality food as she always did.

"Thank you for saving him."

Quatre looked up. The child's mother was no older than he was. Quatre wasn't surprised. By the time a young one from the village reached seventeen, he or she was usually bonded and often had at least one child. The little boy was staring at Quatre. Slowly, his arm came up and his finger stretched out, pointing at him.

"You're welcome," Quatre answered. People were staring and he started to fidget uncomfortably.

"Momma," the boy said, still pointing.

"Hush, Dylan."

"But Momma, look."

Quatre felt tears stinging his eyes as the little boy began gesturing wildly. The child strained in his mother's arms as she tried to hush him.

"But Momma, why does he look like that?" he finally shrieked.

Anyone in the village market who had not been staring at the trio before, was. The woman whose cart they were standing in front of turned as red as the tomatoes she was selling.

Quatre could feel every pebble in the ground beneath his thin shoes. Like tiny daggers, they pierced his feet, rooting him to the spot.

The mother of the child was still trying to hush him, but with little success. She looked at Quatre. "Sorry," she muttered.

But she wasn't sorry. Quatre could tell by the way she stared at him. _She lets her child ask the question that she's too polite to ask herself. Still, they all wonder why I look as I do; they always have. _The girl turned and hurried off with her son still thrashing about in her arms. The other villagers slowly returned to their shopping, murmuring low as they bent over the various carts arranged around the edge of the village square. Even though Quatre couldn't hear them, he knew they were talking about him.

A chill danced up his spine as he turned to see the blacksmith staring at him. There was a glint of intensity in his gaze that unnerved him. Ever since he was a small lad, he noticed the odd looks the blacksmith always gave him. He looked as if to devour him, something almost predatory in his eyes. Quatre turned around quickly. Shivering, he picked out a tomato, paid for it, and headed for home. His mother could not make the trips back and forth from the village too constantly now, so he took the task of shopping from her.

As Quatre walked through the village toward home, he passed the village square. The village square was built around a tall post sticking up from the ground. Ancient traders had erected the post long before the village even existed, as a sign that this place was a crossroads and a good place to meet with other merchants. From those beginnings, people had begun to actually settle near the area of trade and the village had sprung up.

A hundred years earlier, the king of Arad Doman had built the magnificent castle that sat on top of the cliff that towered above the rest of the village. The village itself was on the bottom of the slope. Half of it actually sat on the slant, and the other half on level ground.

On the other side of the village ground again began to slope, heading down toward the ocean, and a path ran from the village toward the shoreline. It was this path that he walked now. His father, Rashid, was a fisherman, and he was grateful they lived just outside the village, close to the sea.

Once home, Quatre's shaking hands pulled from his basket the food he had purchased. He removed the tomato and stared at the vibrant red color. It stood out in stark contrast against his pale skin; blood red on alabaster white.

He put the tomato away and walked slowly outside. He held his hand up to the light and stared at it. His skin was so pale, he imagined he could see right through it to the blood and bones beneath. He pulled his braid forward over his shoulders; he refused to let it be cut, sensing that it was just… wrong. His mother agreed with him wholeheartedly, saying that such beauty is a shame to be cut. The hair shimmered against the dark blue of his shirt. His hair too, was pale, flaxen in color.

The natives of the village all had tanned skin and dark colorings. Their normal features were dark hair and brown eyes. Different colorings were reserved for royalty; they were the only ones who were slightly deviant from the dark colorings predominant in their kingdom.

_No wonder the little boy stared. No wonder they whispered. What am I? _He stared up at the heavens, but no answer came.

He sighed and began to walk toward the beach, dragging the toes of his shoes. The act of walking to the ocean usually filled him with joy, but his heart was too heavy.

_"What am I?"_

When he finally crested the little hill that hid the ocean from his home, he spotted a tall figure staring out to sea. He felt his heart skip a beat as he saw the man standing there.

When he was halfway to him, the other figure turned. "There you are," he said in a slight monotone that, to him, was with a hint of fondness.

Quatre smiled despite himself, wondering how long his companion had been waiting. His dark brown hair was wildly tousled, indicating that he'd been there for quite a while, pacing and thinking. He stood, every inch of his body alert, as though he was a predator poised to pounce on him. _Oh, that he would_, Quatre thought before he could stop himself. Appalled, he pulled his thoughts away from such visions.

Heero was his best friend, his only friend. Quatre had known him since they were both children, and he was the only one who had never treated him differently because of the way he looked. Perhaps it was because he, too, knew what it was like to be treated differently, to have people whisper and stare, and his friend disliked it as much as Quatre did.

"Good afternoon, Heero. How are you?" he asked when he reached his side.

Heero's blue eyes danced, specks of light shimmering in them like whitecaps upon the ocean waves. "Impatient. What kept you?"

"Me."

Heero frowned. "What?"

"I think there's something wrong with me." Quatre sighed, dropping down to sit on the sand.

The other man's eyebrows shot up in surprise, and he took a seat beside him. "Now, what on earth would make you think that?"

"Look at me! can you honestly say that anything about me is normal?"

"Normal? Where's the excitement in that?" the other snorted. "Besides, who's to say what's normal, anyway?"

"You probably could," Quatre answered with a small smile.

Heero waved a hand dismissively, quickly stifling another snort. "I would much rather have a life filled with magic than one filled with mundane."

Quatre couldn't stop himself from laughing. "You are forever searching for magic, Heero, and I am afraid you shall never find it."

"Well, _you _certainly won't, not with that attitude."

"Good, I have no need of it." The sun beat down upon their skin, and Quatre could feel his tense muscles slowly begin to relax. He breathed deeply and tasted the salty air.

The tide was receding, and all along the glistening stretch of the wet sand were little specks of the ocean's bones, seashells that had found their way into shallow water only to be abandoned by the rollicking waves.

Heero shook his head at him. "We all need a little magic in our lives, Quatre. We need something to hope in."

"That's what the Light is for," he answered defensively.

"Yes, but the Creator is busy. We can't leave it all up to Him."

"Master Padan would disagree with you."

Heero snorted. "Master Padan doesn't believe in anything unless he can see it with his own two eyes or read it in the Scriptures. Even then, I'm not so certain. I think if a fay ever appeared to him, he would faint."

"Heero, how can you be so disrespectful?" Quatre admonished. He was shocked, but also secretly amused. He wouldn't have been surprised. Heero had an irreverent streak since he had known him, but rarely did he show it to anyone other than him.

The other grinned. "I guess it's my birthright."

Quatre couldn't help but blush at that. He dropped his eyes, suddenly too shy to look at the one beside him. Heero noticed the motion, though, and put a hand on his shoulder. The contact sent tingles along Quatre's skin, and when he forced his head up, he found himself pinned by his stare.

"Don't duck your eyes in front of me, Quatre. You know I don't want that."

"Sometimes we do not always get what we want," Quatre answered before he could stop himself.

His heart stopped for a moment as Heero stared at him. "I know," he finally answered softly before dropping his hand and looking away. Quatre's heart began to beat again, but now it was pounding so loudly, he was sure his friend could hear it.

Silence stretched between them and he slowly began to breathe again. They had known each other long enough that the silences were comfortable. Many a time they had sat here for hours not speaking a word, just watching the ocean.

"You know, it was ten years ago today," Heero said after a moment.

"What was?" Quatre asked.

"That we met," he said, with a slight grin. "Surely you remember."

"How could I forget? I came here to look at the ocean, to be alone with my thoughts, and there was a boy here."

"I was terrified that you were going to tell my father where I was hiding."

"I didn't even know who your father was."

"And I found that so appealing."

"Is that why we're friends?" Quatre teased.

"Well, that and the fact that I found you fascinating."

Quatre remembered the day well, though it seemed but yesterday and not ten years past. Heero had been so funny that he had laughed nearly the entire time they were together, much to his own annoyance. Even when Heero had tugged on his hair and told him that it reminded him of the color of the sun, he hadn't minded somehow. _Maybe it was because he wasn't afraid of me, or judging me._

"We've been meeting once a week ever since, so over ten years that's about five hundred and twenty times."

"Probably more – some weeks we've met twice," Quatre reminded him.

"True," Heero said, cocking his head to the side as though trying to calculate the exact number.

"What's your point, Heero?"

His friend looked at him, suddenly serious. "You know me better than anyone else- sometimes, I think, better than I know myself. I just wanted to say happy anniversary."

Quatre swallowed around the sudden lump in his throat, not knowing what to say. Heero took his hand and squeezed it gently. A new kind of silence stretched between them, and it was far more comfortable. His skin prickled as waves of emotion rushed over him.

Heero broke the silence suddenly enough to startle him. "You want to go for a swim?"

Quatre shook his head, relieved to change the subject. "No, I'll just sit."

"Every week I've asked you and every week you refuse. What is it? Are you shy?"

"No."

"Afraid that I'm a better swimmer? Don't want to be embarrassed?"

"I know you are." Quatre laughed. "I don't swim."

Heero stared at him. "How can that be? You love the ocean."

"I love to look at it, I don't go in it."

"Well, I'll teach you."

"No!" Quatre winced as he heard the sharp tone in his own voice.

His friend looked shocked. "My father's the only one who's ever taken that tone with me."

"I'm sorry," Quatre mumbled, dropping his eyes. "Forgive me?"

"You know I do." Heero paused for a moment and then asked, "Why won't you let me teach you?"

Quatre glanced from him to the ocean. He wanted to say yes, to have Heero take him out into the ocean and teach him to swim. _What would it feel like to have the waters rushing against my skin? And would I ever want to come back? Surely with Heero by my side I would be safe, he wouldn't let anything happen to me._

The waves called to him. Below their steady roar and crash there was a singsong voice that he alone seemed to hear. He had tried pointing it out to Heero and his parents, but none of them heard it. He closed his eyes and listened to it now. Something in that voice called out to his heart. The ocean whispered to him, speaking in words that sounded strange and yet achingly familiar to him. _Maybe I'll just put a toe in the water. I could do that._

Quatre sighed, frustrated, knowing that wasn't true. He knew that if he put his toe in the water, it wouldn't stop there; next he would place his whole foot, soon to be followed by the rest of him, and then… then he'd be lost.

Forever.

He opened his eyes and looked up at Heero. He had an expectant look on his face handsome face. Quatre shook his head. "I can't go in the water."

"Why not?"

"I just can't," he stammered.

"Why?" Heero pressed.

"Because if I go in the ocean, I'll die."

Heero stared at him. "What makes you think that?"

Quatre shook his head, helpless to answer him.

"Did your parents tell you that?"

He shook his head again.

"Do you think that because of what happened when you were little?"

Again, Quatre shook his head. He had no idea where the knowledge had come from, but he was as certain of it as he was his name.

"Tell me again," Heero whispered, so faint that he could barely hear him.

"What?"

"You know."

Quatre leaned back on the sand. "I've already told you the story, several times."

"Yes, but I enjoy hearing it."

He sighed exaggeratedly. "Okay, but this is the last time." Self-consciously, he closed his hand around the black pearl he wore around his neck. "Thirteen years ago, a fisherman found me in the ocean during a storm. He pulled me into his boat and took me home. He and Quaterina have raised me ever since."

"And all you had with you was that pearl?"

Quatre stroked the dark, shiny orb and nodded.

"And you still have no memory of your life before that?"

"None."

"It's a great mystery."

Quatre grimaced. "I think the only mystery here is why you are so fascinated by the story."

Heero peered into his eyes. "Look, Quatre. You might not want to know where you come from, but I do." He leaped back to his feet. "For all we know, you're descended from Fairy folk."

Quatre laughed out loud. "You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

"Well, it would explain your hair."

Quatre felt as though he had frozen inside. Heero must have seen the look on his face, because he told him, "I know you wish your hair was a different color, brown, or red maybe, but I think it's wonderful. Any other color just wouldn't suit you."

Heero sighed and gazed at the setting sun. A shadow crossed his face, and he looked suddenly older. When he spoke, even the resonance of his voice had deepened slightly. "I should go if I'm to be properly dressed for dinner."

"Who's going to be there tonight?"

Heero shrugged. "I don't know - a duke, I think."

Quatre grinned. "You don't fool me. Not a person comes or goes at the castle that you don't know who they are and what business they have."

Hero smiled faintly. "That's true. I just don't like to think about it when I'm with you." He waved his hand to encompass the ocean, the beach, and him. "Here, I don't have to worry about all of that."

Quatre scrambled to his feet and hastened to shake the sand from his outfit. "That's why we do this. So we both can be ourselves. I am very thankful that your true self is not the cold bastard everyone thinks you to be. I'll see you next week."

His comment produced a slight laugh from his friend. "You'll see me tomorrow if you're in the village."

Quatre smiled. "Yes, but then I'll have to call you 'Your Highness.'" He began to walk up the beach away from him.

"You wouldn't have to, you know."

"We both know that's not true," Quatre called back over his shoulder. "You are the prince of Arad Doman, and I am just a fisherman's son."

"You don't know that for sure. You might be a prince, for all we know," Heero shouted.

Quatre waved at him and continued on. "In my dreams. Only in my dreams," he whispered, to himself. He heard his father playing the flute, its faint sound tinkling on the wind, and realized that it was later than he had thought. He picked up his pace and began to run, enjoying the cool sand spraying up his feet.

Rashid sat outside the cottage. Quatre slowed to a walk as he approached his father's slumped form.

"You're late," Rashid remarked, putting away his flute.

"I'm sorry, Papa."

His father raised an eyebrow, but didn't question him.

Quatre slipped past him through the open door into the cottage. For as long as he had lived there, he had only seen the cottage door closed twice during the daytime. Both times it had been shut up against storms. The rest of the time it was open, letting the sea air flood in; letting the sea's graces in. For Rashid, the sea provided more than just his livelihood; it was a part of who he was. Quaterina would sometimes tease that saltwater ran through his veins instead of blood.

Inside, Quaterina glanced at her son while stirring the dinner that was boiling in a pot over the fire. "You've been to the beach again."

"How did you know?"

"You've got sand in your braid. What is it you do there, anyway?"

Quatre blushed. "I sit by the water and think."

Looking satisfied, Quaterina turned back to the table.

Quatre stared at her back for a moment, longing to tell her of the prince and the time they spent together. He opened his mouth to speak, but Rashid came in.

"Everybody wash up," Quaterina instructed. "I won't have dirty hands at my table."

"Already done," Rashid declared, planting a kiss on his wife's rosy cheek.

Quatre ducked outside and went to the water basin, where he washed his hands and face. It hurt to keep his friendship with Heero a secret from his parents. Still, he wasn't sure what they would say if they knew. Commoners and royalty didn't speak with one another, everyone knew that. Yet once a week it happened, right on the beach just steps away from his home.

Every week since he was seven, he had met with Heero. The first time they had met at the oceanside, Heero had sworn him to secrecy upon danger of Quatre's painful demise. He was terrified at first, but when the boy gave him a small smile, his heart was set at peace. He had not known who the strange boy was, only that he had escaped from some people he called his "keepers." Months later, when he found out that his new friend was a prince, and of his own land at that, he was frightened, for royalty was not supposed to mix with peasants. Still, he had gone to meet Heero, for he was the only one he could call a friend. Each week, Heero had had to devise more elaborate plans to escape from the castle and his tutors, and Quatre had always laughed until his sides hurt when hearing about his escapades.

The years had passed, though, and eventually there was no longer a need for the secrecy. Heero was grown up and allowed the freedom to come and go from the castle pretty much as he chose. His father had tried in vain to send personal guards with him, but Heero always managed to lose them and so his father had at last given up sending them. Still, the meetings had remained their secret. _Of all the secrets in my life, it's the nicest, _Quatre thought.

He went back inside to take his place at the table. Before he reached his chair, though, he caught his foot on the leg of the table and ended up sprawled on the floor. Embarrassed, he scrambled back to his feet. Rashid and Quaterina were already seated, and he thought he saw Quaterina suppress a grin.

"Did you trip over your feet again?" Rashid asked dryly.

"No, not mine, this time. It was the table's."

Once he took his seat, they bowed their heads and Rashid recited a meal chant. They ate in silence. Quaterina glanced from time to time at Rashid, who stared resolutely at his food. Lost in his own thoughts, it took Quatre several minutes to notice the uncharacteristic silence. He glanced warily toward Quaterina. His mother held his gaze for only a moment before averting her eyes. With a mounting sense of unease, Quatre turned to Rashid.

Without looking up from his food, his father cleared his throat. "Well, you might as well know. Thomas has been asking about you."

"The blacksmith?"

Quatre's stomach began to twist in knots. Something wasn't right. The blacksmith had always striked him as a perverse man. He always looked at Quatre so… differently. Just this morning, he had been staring at him so strangely in the market. "What does he want?"

Quaterina began to stand up, but Rashid put a hand on her arm. She locked her eyes with her husband, then sank slowly back to her seat.

The silence stretched on for several moments before Quaterina finally broke it. "He wants you to bond with his daughter."

"What!"

"He wants you and Natasha bonded," Rashid affirmed. "He told me about his intentions this morning."

"What - what did you say?"

Again, a glance between Rashid and Quaterina. "I told him I would have to think about it."

"Tell him no!"

Rashid sighed heavily and put down his fork. "It would be a good match for you. She is a kind lass, and she would provide you with her dowry and a home. "

Quatre pictured Natasha in his mind. Ever since they were little, she would always give him coy little glances that conveyed too much. Her brown eyes always followed him around, and her smile…

He shuddered. "I do not want her."

Rashid muttered something under his breath. "I know that, but it's a good offer and-"

"And what?"

"It's the only one you've had."

Quatre dropped his eyes to his plate as he felt his pale cheeks begin to burn crimson. He should have known this was coming. All of the other youths his age in the village were married. Still, he couldn't stop the feelings of anger and fear that mixed with his shame. "Am I supposed to be grateful, then, that finally a woman would want to bond with me?"

Quaterina quickly put her hand on Quatre's arm. "You know we're not saying that."

"Then what are you saying?"

"It's just not that we're not getting any younger and we won't always be here for you. We do not want you to be alone when we're gone."

"So, I should just bond with the first woman to glance my way?"

Rashid shoved back his chair and slammed his fist down onto the table. "Light, don't be so stubborn. If a kind girl wants to be bonded with you, that should be enough." He turned and strode toward the door. He paused in the threshold long enough to address Quaterina. "See if you can talk some sense into him." Then he stormed out into the night.

Quatre sat very still, afraid to look at his mother. He had only seen Rashid angry twice before, but never at him. Guilt washed over him. He had been a father to him, raised him as his own. Why couldn't he be a more obedient son?

"Well, are you just going to sit there or are you going to say what's on your mind?" Quaterina asked after a minute.

A look of dismay passed over Quatre's face as he looked up. "I don't love her."

"You can learn to love her," Quaterina said gently. She searched Quatre's face for a minute. "Is there another reason you have? Is there someone you are in love with?"

Quatre's thoughts turned to Heero. He was his friend and confidant. He was also royalty, though, and beyond his grasp. _Do I love him? _He didn't know, but he thought he might. All he knew of love was what Rashid and Quaterina showered upon him. But so far as the love between a man and a woman, he knew nothing of it. Love between men was also a complete mystery to him. _Maybe I do love Heero, then. Things have been different between us of late. Could that be why I feel so strange when I'm around him? _Still, such feelings, if they even existed, would do him no good. "No, Mama, there's no one."

Quaterina nodded as though it was the answer she was expecting. "Then, my son, would you at least think about it?"

"It would be good for you and Papa if I agree, wouldn't it?"

Quaterina gave a nod so slight that Quatre wasn't even sure he had seen it. "It would be good for you, too. She is a kind girl, and you would never want."

"And who else would want someone like me?"

"Any woman or man would be fortunate to be bonded to you."

"Then how come Natasha is my only option?" Quatre cried.

Tears shimmered in Quaterina's eyes as she came around the table and clasped Quatre in her arms.

* * *

That night, Quatre lay awake, listening to the sounds of the night and wondering what he should do. He resented the choice that had been thrust upon him, though he knew he should be grateful to be given one. Most fathers would never have dreamed of consulting their children, whether they be male or female, about their bonding. 

_I wonder what my real father would have done, _he thought, and instantly felt guilty for it. Rashid had been the only father he had known, and he could never have asked for a kinder, more loving father. _Still, there are times when I can't help but wonder what my real parents were like, and what happened to them. I guess I'll never know._

His thoughts drifted to Heero. All his talk about magic and his unknown heritage always pleased him a little. His friend's talk frightened him, though, as well. He wasn't sure he did believe in magic, but he knew that Heero did, and the thought that it could exist made him nervous. His friend believed so strongly, though, it was hard not to get swept up by his passion. He thought of the look Heero got in his eyes when he talked about the things that were near to his heart.

Alone in the dark, he could admit that he wished Heero had been the one who had asked for him. He was sure his thoughts must be a sin on his part - pride, supposition, or something. He couldn't quite believe it, though.

Heero was wonderful, everything that anyone could dream about. Even though he projected a front of a cold-hearted prince, he was still loved by his people. He was his dearest friend and Quatre did love him, at least in some sense. Sometimes he dreamt about him at night. Heero would stand before him and tell him that he loved him, but always, just as he was about to kiss him, Quatre would catch a glimpse of something over Heero's shoulder.

He was never sure what it was, a shadow, perhaps. It was always there, though, and it was somehow familiar to him. It called to him, telling him that there was something else, something he had lost and needed to find. Then, if he strained hard enough, he could see a pair of eyes staring at him, glittering in the darkness.

Those eyes haunted him. He would wake after seeing them, afraid to open his eyes for fear that he would see them blinking at him in the darkness of the cottage. In his dreams, Heero never kissed him, the eyes always stopped him.

The eyes were only in his dreams, never in his nightmares. The voice in his nightmares was different too. It always whispered horrible things to him, told him he was nothing, nobody. Told him that if he went into the ocean, he would die.

Tonight it would be different. Tonight there would be no nightmares. He would dream and he would ignore the eyes, and turn a deaf ear to the whispers. He would dream that he was really a prince, just like Heero had said.

He rolled over and faced the wall. "If I am a prince, then I may be eligible to bond with Heero," he told himself. It was folly, the dream of a child. Still, the words made him feel better, made him feel like he had a choice. He smiled slightly as he fell asleep.

TBC

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Author's Notes: 

… You notice that Quatre is somehow acting like a girl here? Gomen for that. As you might have guessed, the character (from the original book) I patterned him from is a girl. SO sorry for making him seem like a crybaby or a sissy or whatever. I mean, shopping and everything… I love Quatre most of all the GW characters and I don't see him as a sissy. It just somewhat… turned out that way.

As for Heero… (cringe)… Not my best work but…. (sigh) … Just think of the fact that there was no war here or no Doctor J so we are seeing "the Heero that might have been if he grew up fairly normal," ne? WAAAAAAAHHH! Gomen nasai! Don't kill me! I still want to get to experience having a boyfriend! WAAAAH! … (blinks)… Err, too much (useless) info, ne?

Rashid is, too. OOC, that is. Oh well. He and Quaterina make a… highly uncommon pair. At least in my opinion that is. So why IS Quatre shopping? Let's just say that Quaterina is too frail to make the trip to and from the village with a (big and heavy) basketful of various food items… and since Quatre is her only child…

As for Natasha being Quatre's only option… Quatre, even though he's a good-looking guy, is alien-looking to the people of Arad Doman. And since strangeness is considered as deformities in my (made-up) world of this fiction, no man or woman would even DARE be interested with him. Except for Natasha… and her father. Hmmm… make you wonder _how _interested he is with Quatre, ne? (Eek, AWAY, Hentai thoughts!)

And before you kill me further, rest assured that this IS a 3x4 and 1x2 fic. No mistakes there, it's all part of the extremely complicated plot.

Oh, and for the people who could relate, I had the book "Tatsinda" in my grasp till yesterday (Sunday). Wow. It's the greatest children's book I've ever read. The graphics are really good! That's why I'm totally in love with Prince Tackatan! (I can see you raised eyebrows. Yes, I know it's the silliest name ever, but who cares? He's gorgeous!) The author is Elizabeth Enright and illustrated by Irene Haas. Girls, I bow before your genius! I am you fans for ALL time! If you don't get a copy of the book, it's perfectly alright. _Tatsinda _was last published in 1963. The plot is WAAY better than the one in my fic, that's why I might change a few things in "Duo." But I'm too lazy right now so I probably won't get to it.

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Replies to Reviews (Part 1) 

**Crystal Ketchum Darklight**So sorry for the confusion. I promise that all the mystery in this fic will be cleared up as the story progresses. Thanks SO much for being the first reviewer of Part 1!

**Fairren**Err… you think this fic is good! Wow… (does a "baka dance") Arigatou! Here's another chapter, though I fear that I won't update for a long while. We're going on vacation for a week so… "Nyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter!

**Reader**You were checking every day for updates! Wow. Err, so sorry for updating too slowly. I hope you like this chapter, although a lot of things seem more complicated and I'm sure a lot of questions are gonna be asked. Yeah, this story IS magical 'cause it's gonna deal with mermaids and… other stuff. Oh well… Talk to you (hopefully) soon!


	4. Part 3

Disclaimer: All characters mentioned belong in the animé series Gundam Wing. The plot is taken from the book _Midnight Pearls _by Debbie Viguié. So ALL credit goes to her. Please don't sue me…?

This chappie centers on Heero and his princely life (with appearances of some more GW characters). A note of warning: if you don't like a totally OOC Heero, click the back button and never return. (n.n) Oh, there's also the appearance of some characters and hints of more yaoi goodness. Enjoy! Hopefully…

Summary: _A mermaid story like never before. _They say that the prince was bonded to a boy who was not what he appeared and that another boy who saved the kingdom vanished without a trace. Some said it was witchcraft. Some said it was only a legend. For those who knew the truth, it was magic… (eventual 3x4 and 1x2)

Replies to Reviews (Chapter 3):

**Fairren **Um, you want a spoiler? Gomen, but Trowa is gonna appear in the distant future known as Chapter 6! Don't worry, I'll try to make the chapters in between (which is only one now)a bit more interesting. Aww, and sorry for making Quatre-sama sad or something. I promise that he would be deliriously happy with his Trowa… in the end of this fic, ehehehe… Thanks SO much for being the first reviewer of chapter 3! Here's a box of assorted chocolates - which is strangely lacking a few pieces. (smiles sheepishly)

**Romie **You think so! You really think so! Wow, thanks! I think this tale is really cute too, discounting the fact that I am its author… (snickers) Here ya go! (gives Romie a box of assorted chocolate treats)

**Crystal Ketchum Darklight **Waaah! Gomen for updating just now! I should've posted this chapter yesterday, but I was at the mall, drinking frappe at Starbuck's with Elana-chan. (smiles sheepishly) Oh, Quatre isn't gonna marry any girl! He's for Trowa and Trowa is for him, ne? (waves a _3x4 Forever! _banner) Thanks SO much for reviewing! (gives Crystal a colorful box of assorted sweets… with a few pieces missing) Oops… Ehehehe…

**Shin-chan **Their personalities are way too off for them to form a successful relationship, thus my love for 3x4 goes! I SO love them right now! (starts drooling at all the 3x4-suggestive pics she downloaded from the net) Heero and Duo make such a cute couple! Wai! Though the balance is tipped over to 3x4 for me this time. (hence the fact that this fic IS a 3x4) Thanks for the review! (gives Shin-chan a box of cookies – no bites, mind you)

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**Out of the Sea**

By _Ninetails_

Chapter 3

Prince Heero walked into the castle. He couldn't help but cast a small smirk as a servant sweeping the floor only gave him a cursory glance. It used to be that his returns would cause almost as much of an uproar as his sudden disappearances. The alternately happy and frustrating days of childhood has passed though, and now no one seemed to care whether he came or went. Strangely, he sometimes missed the old days.

He made his way upstairs to his bedchamber. There, a frustrated servant, Wufei, was waiting for him. Heero almost smiled. At least someone still noticed his comings and goings. His humor faded quickly though, as Wufei promptly began lecturing him on how long it took _someone _to dress properly for a feast with guests such as the duke and that Heero should have shown up much earlier and with far less sand upon his person.

With a small grunt, Heero sat down on his bed. He surveyed the clothes that had been laid out for him. It was going to be a _very _formal evening. Sir Eoin, the duke of Dermail, and his son, Vanyel, were coming to dinner. Heero did not trust Sir Eoin. He had met the man thrice before and had disliked him more each time they'd met. "Has Sir Eoin arrived yet?

Wufei wrinkled his nose ever so slightly, his ebony eyes hardening slightly. Heero knew the servant did not like the duke any better than he did. Wufei also knew more than anyone else about the comings and goings at the castle. If there was news, he would have it.

"He arrived nearly an hour ago with his entourage."

"And?"

"A foul group, if I'd ever seen one. His servants are an ill-mannered lot. The duke swaggered in like he owned the castle. He doesn't show the proper amount of respect to your lord father."

"And his son? I understand he's earned quite a reputation for himself abroad as a knight."

"More like he's earned himself a reputation as a scoundrel."

Heero smirked. "Has Father said anything?"

Wufei shook his head. "Your father has his mind on other matters. He doesn't notice Sir Eoin's insolence."

"But you think he should?"

Wufei dropped his eyes. "It is not my place to say what your father should do."

"And yet you will," Heero pushed. _Yes, you will. And I bet father would listen too… quite eagerly._

Wufei paused for a moment, and Heero cocked his head to the side, patiently waiting for the insights of the other man. When Wufei spoke, it was in a hushed whisper. "I think your father should watch him closely. The duke's an ambitious man, and I wouldn't put much stock in his scruples."

"But he is my father's distant cousin," Heero protested.

"And as such would take the throne if something happened to your father, and to you."

Heero felt a shiver dance up his spine. Although Wufei was in touch with all that happened around the castle, he was not given to idle gossip. If he said a thing, it was reality.

Heero kept his own voice low as he answered, "Then I shall keep an eye on the duke for my father's sake."

He extended his hand to Wufei, and after a moment the (slightly) older man clasped it. they locked eyes, and a silent agreement passed between them. they would keep an eye on the duke, and protect the king at all costs.

Wufei released his hand, and Heero stood up. "Well, it's time to dress for dinner. We mustn't keep Father and the duke waiting."

"No, your Highness."

In short order, Heero was properly attired. What would Quatre say about his clothes? They were more elaborate than any the boy had ever seen him in. On the couple of occasions that Quatre had actually seen him in the village, he had worn simpler clothes, still regal, but not like those he wore when they were holding court.

He hoped Quatre would laugh and call him a gilded peacock, or smile and tell him he looked comely. More likely though, he would duck his head and refuse to look at him, unable to forget Heero's station - or his.

Quatre was so ethereal, and yet he did not know it. There was something unearthly about him, as though he were from a different world. When they were young he used to dream that Quatre was a fairy, or a spirit that would someday disappear into thin air. Now that they were older, he didn't know what to believe. He wasn't sure he believed in Fairy folk anymore, but he wasn't entirely convinced they weren't real. There were too many stories, too many unexplained happenings. The only thing he knew for sure was that there was more to Quatre than he himself knew.

He met his father as he walked out of his chambers. King Treize nodded at him. His father was still young since his late mother and him had a child quite early into their arranged marriage. They looked nothing alike though; his father had fiery hair and teal eyes. His frame was broad-shouldered and regal, a commanding presence, but Heero's was slightly lean and almost delicate.

Together they walked down the winding staircase that led to the main floor and the great hall. They crossed the threshold, and everyone inside the hall, including Sir Eoin, rose to their feet.

It looked like there would be nearly fifty people dining with them tonight. Aside from the duke and his son, there were knights, merchants, and a few other lesser nobles. Heero and his father arrived at the table and took their place at its head. Heero noted that Wufei was standing in his usual place, just behind and to the right of the king, in case he should need anything. Before sitting down, Treize gave the sable-haired man beside him a gentle smile, and Heero felt himself relax imperceptibly.

Everyone else sat down on the long benches on the sides of the table. A massive stone fireplace that ran nearly the length of the one wall cast light and heat into the room. A hanging candelabra above the center of the table and long taper candles placed at intervals down the center of the table provided the rest of the light.

As soon as they were seated, the servants appeared as if by magic, filling each cup with clarrey, a wine that Heero knew his father favored, with its mix of honey and spices. Then, serving maids from the kitchens appeared carrying trays of meats, fruits, and other sumptuous delicacies. The aroma filled the room, and Heero breathed deeply, enjoying the mixture of scents.

There were trays of spiced pear compote and plates of exotic fruits. There were legs of mutton and vegetables in vinegar. Flampoyntes were set before each guest, the pork and cheese pies decorated with pastry triangles. Various other meats and cheeses were present in abundance.

There was Sweet William, the fish that Quatre had shown him once that usually smelled of ammonia. Most wouldn't eat it, but their chef prided himself on having perfected a way to cook it that removed the odor. The result was a succulent dish that had an exotic flavor. Heero smiled to himself. Rashid was the only fisherman who caught Sweet William and he did so only for the castle's chef. It made Heero feel close to Quatre, somehow, to sit at his father 's table, and eat the fruits of the other Quatre's father's labor.

The most decadent dish was brought out last with a great flourish. Whole roasted chickens graced gold serving platters. Each was stuffed with meat, nuts, eggs, and spices and were glazed either green or gold. Balls of the stuffing were shaped like eggs around each chicken and were also painted either green or gold.

Gasps of appreciation went up around the table at the sight of the poullaille farcie, and Heero smirked in satisfaction. In his experience, nothing was quite so impressive as a table laid with such exquisite food. He knew from his tutors that the meal was a symbol of the king's wealth and power, and should serve to humble the hearts of those present. His sharp blue eyes turned to the duke. Even Sir Eoin was impressed; Heero could see it in the way his eyes were riveted upon the chickens. Heero would have to remember to thank the chef later.

For half an hour the only sound was that of hungry men eating. Not for the first time since his mother had died almost ten years ago, Heero lamented a lady's touch at the table. His father had never remarried, and the only woman who had sat at the table in the past five years had been the occasional wife of a visiting noble or a distant relative visiting the family.

But ever since Wufei had come into their service four years ago, his father had gone out of his melancholy and reverted back into the same spirited man he knew his father to be.

Heero's thoughts drifted back to Quatre. He wondered what he'd be eating at his family's table. _Not fish_, he thought wryly. Even he knew of Quatre's distaste for the sea's bounty. He imagined the other man sitting at the table beside him. What would he try first? Heero yearned to have Quatre dine with him. He had never been able to show him the castle, though. He felt his cheeks warming with shame. For all Quatre's talks about the difference in their stations and his reluctance to speak with him in public, he was just as bad. He had never even spoken his name in front of his father.

"So, Prince Heero is of an age to be bonded."

Startled out of his thoughts, Heero looked up from his plate and glared at Sir Eoin.

King Treize nodded slowly. "Yes, he is."

"I imagine there are any number of eligible lords or ladies eager to be his consort. It must be hard to choose between them." The duke picked up his goblet and took a swallow. He set it back down on the table and with exaggerated nonchalance continued. "I have had several requests from young suitors for the hand of my own daughter, Samantha."

Heero glanced uneasily at his father. He noted that the king was looking at Wufei. Wufei shook his head ever so slightly, and the king turned back to face the duke.

Heero wasn't sure what the interchange between Wufei and his father meant, but he didn't want to risk finding out. He didn't like where the conversation seemed to be headed. "I'm sure one of them will make a fine husband for your daughter," he spoke up quickly. "Having them be the supplicants for her affection puts her in a position of power, and you, as well," he added pointedly.

The duke flushed. Heero had touched a nerve. If the duke asked another to bond with his daughter, it would put him in the weaker position, that of supplicant. The duke was sensitive enough to the subtleties of power to appreciate the difference, and to not enjoy being reminded of it. Heero was secretly relieved. There would be no talk of his betrothal tonight at least.

Heero turned his head away from the duke and caught sight of Vanyel, who had been quiet up until now, smiling wickedly. The smile did nothing to alleviate the crackling cold of his gray eyes. Heero met his eyes and was enraged to see arrogance, rage and hatred lurking in their crystal depths. A shiver slid up his spine, and the prince's cold gaze seemed to wither the other.

During the rest of the meal, Heero was more quiet than usual, watching and, in turn, being watched. It was unnerving and it was with relief that he excused himself at the end of the meal. Pleasantries and diplomacy never did agree with him.

He quickly climbed the stairs leading to the living quarters, eager to be alone with his thoughts. Inside his room, he strode to the window and stared out toward the sea and Quatre's home.

Of late he had found himself thinking more and more about him and often at the strangest times. Things were changing between them, in some subtle way that was hard to detect and even harder to understand. _Maybe we've just grown up, and this is what it will feel like from now on._

He didn't know how long he'd been standing there before he heard a slight noise behind him. He turned around to see Wufei standing a respectful distance away. "What is it, Wufei?"

"Your father wishes to speak with you."

"What about?" Heero asked, at once suspicious and not entirely unperturbed.

Wufei just shrugged.

"Don't know or won't tell?"

The ghost of a smile touched Wufei's lips. "Perhaps a bit of both; he's in the throne room." With that, he turned and left, and Heero found his curiosity heightened even more.

He left his chambers and made his way toward the throne room – further proof that whatever it was had to be somewhat serious, else they would have met in his father's chambers. When he reached the room, he found his father standing, staring out a window, much as Heero had just been doing upstairs. His hand clutched a single stem of rose, its scarlet beauty pervading through the gloom. Silently Heero joined him, and together they stared out into the darkness.

Without turning toward him, his father spoke. "You did well in speaking to the duke tonight. You discouraged him from his purpose and saved him the embarrassment of rejection."

"I couldn't bond with his daughter."

King Treize turned to look at him. "You've met her?"

"No, I'm sure she's a lovely young lady. It's her father I have a problem with."

The king nodded. "So I noticed."

"I don't trust him, Father. There's something insincere about him."

"As opposed to all the courtiers?" his father asked with faint humor in his eyes.

Heero couldn't help but smile back. "I see your point. Speaking frankly for a moment though, I think the duke is dangerous."

His father put a hand on his shoulder. "Leave the duke for me to worry about. You need to be concerning yourself with other matters."

"What?" Heero asked cautiously.

"Bonding. The duke was right about that, at least. It's time you take a mate."

Heero pulled back. "But, Father! - "

"No, I've left you alone for a long time – too long. It's my fault. I wanted you to enjoy your life before you had to take up the burden of your position. Well, the time has long past come. You need to step up to your responsibilities as prince and future king of Arad Doman. And the first responsibility you must take up is being bonded. In this I am immovable."

"But… who?"

"On that question I am a little more flexible. Do you know why I never remarried?"

The question caught Heero off guard. He shook his head.

His father's voice dropped to a whisper. "Because I truly loved your mother. We two were fortunate, more so than most others. I would wish that kind of happiness for you."

Heero didn't know what to say. Naked pain danced in King Treize's eyes. His father ran his fingers through the velvet petals of the rose, before caressing it to his cheek. He always said that Wufei reminded him of a rose; delicate, thorny, and absolutely beautiful. Suddenly, he felt an overwhelming gratitude for the presence of Wufei in his father's life. After a moment, the king continued in a husky voice.

"I'm prepared to help you in whatever way I can. I could throw a ball and invite all the eligible youth of this kingdom and the surrounding ones to attend…"

Heero wrinkled his nose. "No, thank you, Father. I think I just have to figure this out for myself."

"Well, whatever you're going to do, do it quickly, else I shall be forced to choose for you."

"And who would you choose?"

"The Lady Natasha."

The Lady Natasha was six years Heero's senior and still unbonded, with good reason. The lady had a pleasant face and a nice form, but it was when she opened her mouth that others fled. It wasn't just that she had a voice that brayed like a mule, it was that with her word choice, she more often resembled that creature than any other. She was not only prone to saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, she was also critical of everything, and her opinion was freely shared with all.

"Father! Anyone but her!" Heero protested with ill-concealed dismay.

The king raised an eyebrow. "Really? You would prefer the duke's daughter?"

"No," answered Heero quietly.

His father nodded once and then turned to stare back out the window, the rose still clutched in his hand. The interview was over. Heero stood only a few moments more before leaving quietly. He was sure that his muted footsteps on the floor were completely drowned out by the pounding of his heart.

* * *

Wufei was entering his chamber with a fresh pitcher of water when Heero arrived back there. The other man lifted a black eyebrow upon seeing him. Heero threw himself in the bed as Wufei placed the pitcher on a table across the room. 

"Will there be anything else, Your Highness?"

Heero stayed silent as he glanced at Wufei. The servant had always been a friend and confidant, something of a brother to him.

"He wants me to bond."

Wufei didn't say anything.

"You knew that's what he wanted to speak with me about, didn't you?"

"I had my suspicions."

"What am I going to do? All the royal children and noble people I've met have bored me to tears. I can't imagine happiness trapped in a relationship with one of them."

"I'm sure there are other possibilities."

"Who?"

"What about your little friend from the village?"

Heero felt the color drain from his face as he sat upright. "How do you know about him?"

Wufei actually laughed, his severe features softening to reveal the attractive youth that he was. "Highness, please, I've known about him for years."

"My father?"

"Knows nothing about him. Still, I think he would understand. Your mother was not your grandfather's first choice for a daughter-in-law, or so I've heard."

"Yes, but she was from a noble family." Heero shook his head, noting the pained look on the other's sooty eyes, before it was masked in indifference. "This is insanity, anyway. Quatre is my best friend.""

Wufei raised an eyebrow. "Many bonds have been based on less than that."

"Do you really think Father would approve?"

Wufei was silent for a moment. "He might, and he might not. The thing is, though, he's not so much eager that you have a bondmate as that you have an heir."

Heero nodded. "I figured that was what he was thinking. He was just being polite by not mentioning 'bonded' and 'child' in the same sentence." He looked at Wufei. The other man was possessed of keen insight, not only into people, but also into situations and events.

"What would you do?" Heero asked.

Wufei looked at him kindly, his face once again softening upon seeing his almost distressed look, something in his ebony eyes telling Heero that he was thinking of someone as he spoke. "I'd follow my heart."

* * *

The next morning, watery sunlight shone through Heero's window. He had barely slept all night, falling asleep in the dark hour before the dawn. The only thing he was sure about was that he had to talk to Quatre, and soon. 

His clothes had already been laid out for him, and he dressed quickly. He hoped he would see Quatre when he went to the village. He grimaced. Even if he was able to see him, talking to him would prove a different challenge.

When he entered the Hall, he found Vanyel eating breakfast alone. The marquis looked up, stood, and bowed. Heero nodded and kept walking. He was in no mood for idle chatter.

"Highness, if I may have a moment of your time."

Heero groaned and considered what would happen if he just kept walking. He measured the distance to the door and wondered if he could feign deafness. He had vowed to keep an eye on the duke, though, and that included watching his son. He turned and gave the other man a glare. "What is it, Vanyel?"

"I was actually wanting your advice on something."

Heero's eyebrows shot up in surprise. He wouldn't have thought that Vanyel would want his advice on anything. Intrigued, he asked, "What about?"

"Potential bonded. Or to be more precise, a lad."

Now Heero was really bewildered. "Go on."

"I have fallen in love with a young man and I wanted to ask his father for permission to bond with him."

"A noble endeavor, I'm sure. Where does the difficulty lie?"

"The young man in question is common born – a peasant, to put it bluntly."

"I see," Heero replied slowly. "And you're worried about bonding him and the possible repercussions?"

"Yes, Highness, I am."

"Do you love him?" Heero asked, privately astonished that he and Vanyel should have more in common than he would have thought.

"I do."

"Then do not worry. My father might not be happy, but he will not hinder your union with this man."

"Your father has always seemed to be to be very benevolent and respectful of all, regardless of their station," Vanyel noted with a hint of condescending in his tone.

"Yes, he is," Heero answered, a bit more wary. "I've always admired him for that."

"As is to be expected. Now, if my own father will prove as understanding, all should be well."

"Yes, let us hope for understanding from both of our fathers," Heero remarked, knowing Vanyel could not know he would be asking it for both of them. Heero nodded his head. "I will see you at dinner."

Vanyel bowed, and Heero headed for the door. Once he reached it, he turned back around. "Vanyel, when you have proposed to your intended, bring him back to the castle so that he might prepare adequately for your bonding."

"You are too gracious, Your Highness," Vanyel said, bowing once more.

Nodding, Heero left the room. If he could help Vanyel, he must be able to help himself.

TBC

* * *

Author's Notes: 

Major OOCness for Heero! I mean, HIM, believing in FAIRIES! Mr. I'm-a-perfect-soldier-and-I-only-believe-the-data-I-acquire-from-my-laptop-Yuy is actually giving in to flights of fancy…. This is totally unbearable (and unreal). So you all can go back and never read this fic again. ehehehe…

As for their ages… well… let's just say that Wufei is a bit older to remedy his and Treize's age gap… even a little bit. And I'm taking the liberty of making Treize's age 30 something. Having a son Heero's age is bound to make him relatively old, ne? Oh, and what's up with Wufei being a servant? Let's just say he plays a major role in the last chapters. … Did you catch the hint(smirks)? Strangely enough, typing this fic made me hungry… anyone ever notice how I like to put too much ellipses in anything I write?

Info on the food used would follow shortly (meaning a week or 10)

Oh, and for the people who are wondering when the 3x4 and 1x2 action is coming, look for it at chapter 6. Ja!


	5. Part 4

Disclaimer: All characters mentioned belong in the animé series Gundam Wing. The plot is taken from the book _Midnight Pearls _by Debbie Viguié. So ALL credit goes to her. Please don't sue me…?

My goal in life is to own a ring like the one in the manga "Only the Ring Finger Knows."

Summary: _A mermaid story like never before. _They say that the prince was bonded to a man who was not what he appeared & that another man who saved the kingdom vanished without a trace. Some said it was witchcraft. Some said it was only a legend. For those who knew the truth, it was magic… (eventual 3x4 and 1x2)

Warnings: Still, OOCness ensues in this chapter. It is an AU after all, so I took the liberty to tweak their (especially Heero's) attributes, drastically for others. Gomen if I insult/piss off people for the completely inaccurate rendition of Heero and any character in this fanfiction. You could always click the back button, after all.

**Out of the Sea**

By _Ninetails_

Chapter 4

_Quatre reached the doors of the temple, his steps halting and his heart hammering in his chest like a frightened bird. Tears fell down the satin of his cheeks. It was supposed to be good luck for someone who would be bonded to cry. Quatre was afraid, though, that no amount of luck could save him.

* * *

_

Quatre stood near the fruit cart, trying hard to ignore the fact that he was only a stone's throw away from the blacksmith's forge. He tried to pretend he couldn't hear Thomas's booming voice as he greeted passersby. It wasn't working. Chills danced up his spine as he spotted a female figure beside the older man's hulking form.

"Well, are you going to buy something or just stand there gawking?" asked the lady attending to the cart.

Quatre jumped and muttered an apology. He hurriedly picked out what he wanted, filled his basket with fruit, and paid for it. He started to turn, longing to be away from the blacksmith's shop. A stone twisted under his foot, though, and he fell headlong, apples spilling out across the ground in front of him. Stunned, he lay for a moment, willing the earth to open and swallow him.

"Quatre, are you alright?"

He looked up to see Natasha staring down at him, her eyes too chilly and intent for his comfort. He felt himself flush as he slowly scrambled back to his feet. She helped him retrieve the apples and handed them back to him. Her fingers brushed his, and he jerked involuntarily, her clammy fingers a shock to his sensitive skin.

"My father has been meaning to speak with you, Quatre." She looked at him, his heart filling with strange dread at the blankness in her eyes. She motioned towards her father, who was looking at them over his anvil.

He opened his mouth to say something, anything, to keep her from continuing. Nothing came to mind.

"Make way for Prince Heero!"

The herald's cry saved him. Natasha turned to look and to back out of the way of the royal entourage. Quatre took the opportunity to slip away. He dashed through the crowd, hoping to go unnoticed. He stopped only when he had put a good distance between himself and Natasha.

As he paused to calm himself, he caught sight of Heero coming toward him. Dressed in finery and wearing a cloak of rich velvet, he looked so different than he did when in the simple clothes Quatre normally saw him in. As he drew abreast of him, he bowed like everyone else. After all, Heero might be his friend, but he was his prince first and foremost.

Heero paused almost imperceptibly in front of him and cast a sideways glance. "Meet me after dinner," he instructed, his voice so low, Quatre scarcely heard him.

He dipped his head in understanding. His heart was in his throat. Never before had Heero risked speaking to him in public, and rarely had he asked him to meet on a different day. Then he swept on, followed by guards, attendants, and the curious. Once they had passed, Quatre made his way through the crowd and headed for home.

He was halfway there before his heart stopped pounding.

* * *

Inside the cottage, he found Quaterina preparing a goose. Quatre grinned at the thought of the coming dinner. Quaterina looked up from her work and waved a finger at him. "I see you smiling. It's scandalous that a fisherman's son of all people prefers goose to fish." 

"I can't help it. I feel sorry for the poor little fish."

"And not the goose?" Quaterina shook her head. "You've always been a strange one, Quatre."

"Why, mama?"

"Why what?"

Quatre swallowed hard. "Why am I so different from everyone else?"

Quaterina's brow furrowed. "You're not, little love. I didn't mean it that way."

"No, this isn't about the goose. It's about everything… my hair, my skin, my legs."

His mother didn't look up, and appeared to be very intent on her preparations. The way she began to hack at the goose with a knife was erratic, though, a sign of strain. "What's wrong with your legs?"

"Nothing, if I were a horse."

"They're just… a little long."

"They're very long, they don't fit with the rest of me, and I'm constantly tripping over my feet."

"You'll grow into them," Quaterina hastened to reassure him.

"Mama, I'm sixteen. My growth spurt has all but finished."

"Quatre, there is nothing wrong with you. My mother had skin nearly as pale as yours, and the baker's children in the next village all have light, yellowish hair."

"And the legs?" he asked gloomily.

"Some people have big hands, large noses. Your father has huge feet – even the cobbler says so. So, you have long legs. There's nothing wrong with that."

"I guess," Quatre whispered, unconvinced. He took a breath and pressed further. "Where do you think I came from?"

"My, you're full of questions today."

"Haven't you ever wondered?"

Quaterina set the goose down hard and stared into Quatre's eyes. "No, I haven't. You were a gift from the Light, a child He wanted to be protected, and that was all I ever needed to know. You worry too much, dear."

Quatre nodded, recognizing the tone in Quaterina's voice and knowing there was no use trying to talk to her more about it. _It has to be painful for her when I ask such things, a reminder that she's not my birth mother_. A wave of remorse swept over him. "I'll go wash up so I can help you."

"Quatre." Quaterina's voice trembled slightly. "I love you. I couldn't love you any more even if I'd given birth to you. Sometimes I think I love you more because I didn't. You are the most precious gift I ever received. We want only your happiness."

"I know, Mama," Quatre answered softly.

* * *

The rays of the setting sun seemed to touch the ocean. Quatre knew that he should probably be getting home, but Heero still hadn't said a word, just paced up and down the sand. His sky blue eyes followed his friend as the fading sunlight danced across his dark hair. He must have come straight from dinner. He was still dressed in all his castle finery, and it unnerved him a little. Sometimes Quatre almost imagined that his friend was two different people: the prince of Arad Doman, and his friend Heero. 

"How was your day?"

Quatre jumped at the unexpected sound of his voice and laughed shakily. "Well, I embarrassed myself in the marketplace and had to face Natasha."

"Natasha?" Heero's brow furrowed in thought. "You mean the blacksmith's daughter?"

"Yes."

"I'm afraid I don't understand. Was she scathing to you?"

"No." Quatre took a deep breath. "Last night my father told me that Thomas had asked that his daughter and I be bonded."

"What! But she's an absolute witch!"

"Heero!"

"You refused, of course."

He hesitated long enough that Heero spun around and locked eyes with him. Quatre sighed. "It's not that simple, I'm afraid."

"Of course it is. You just say no. That's all there is to it."

"No, that's not all. If I am to be a dutiful son, I should accept. Her father is a prosperous man and she will make a good housewife… and I… it is bad to make my parents lose face to the village people."

Heero's eyes narrowed and he pursed his lips. He stared at Quatre long and hard, and it unnerved him. He wanted to look away but couldn't; there was something in his cobalt eyes that shot through him. Heero stepped close to him suddenly. "Is Rashid forcing you into this?" he asked, grasping his upper arms in a tight and none too-gentle grip.

"No. I know he thinks I should accept, though," Quatre answered, shaken by his friend's intensity.

Heero barked a short humorless laugh. "Ha, you can do much better than Natasha."

Quatre felt tears welling up in his eyes. "Look at me, Heero."

He did, staring deeply into his eyes. His hands still grasped his arms, and Quatre realized with a shiver just how close he was standing near him. Another step and he would be in Heero's arms.

Quatre swallowed hard, forcing himself to continue. "All the other men my age are already bonded. Natasha is the first one to ever ask me, or even accept my proposal for that matter… and there won't be any others."

Heero released him and stepped back. "Of course there will be," he said, with the ease of someone always surrounded by possibilities and a variety of choices.

It was moments like these when Quatre felt how different they really were. Any man would gladly lead the life of a prince; Heero could have anyone he wanted. He, on the other hand, was just the son of a poor fisherman, with a strange appearance and dismal prospects. Frustration welled up inside him. "Look at me! Who else would want a useless consort who looks so strange and who is constantly tripping over his own feet? Nobody, that's who! It's not like I'm royalty that I can pick and choose whomever I want. I'm lucky my father even took my feelings into consideration."

A few tears escaped his tight rein and poured from his cheeks, unable to contain his frustration and anger any longer. He sank down upon the sand, and Heero dropped down beside him. They sat for several minutes, him gently cryung and the other letting him. When at last the tears began to dry up, Heero put a hand under his chin and pulled his head up. When Quatre met his eyes, he saw tears in them too.

"Quatre. It is not so easy for royalty, either. Last night my father told me he wanted me to be bonded. He suggested a princess I barely know and cannot much tolerate. Still, it would be a good political alliance for Arad Doman. He has not said that I must bond with her, but he has made it clear that I must bond quickly. I think he wants to see a grandson before he dies."

Quatre's heart sank as a fresh wave of tears leaked from his reddened eyes. Heero reached out and gripped his hand with his own. His fingers entwined with his and the intimacy of the touch startled Quatre and sent ripples of shock through him and stemmed the flow of tears. "Hope that the Light gives me wisdom, and I shall hope to discover how I might help you," Heero whispered.

Quatre could only nod, his mouth having gone dry. Heero's thumb was tracing a path across the back of his hand.

With his free hand, Hero reached out and touched the pearl around his neck. His fingers brushed against the skin of his pale throat. "You are incredibly special, Quatre. Do not agree to marry the blacksmith's daughter."

Quatre nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

Heero took a deep breath. "We should both get back before we're missed. Do you need me to accompany you home?"

Quatre didn't know what to say. Heero had never before offered to walk him home; it wasn't necessary after all. For one brief moment, he wondered what his parents would think if he showed up with the prince. _They would probably be appalled to find out about our clandestine meetings conducted without the benefit of a guard._

"No, I can manage," he muttered.

They rose to their feet, Heero still clasping his hand. "Quatre, everything will be all right."

"For you as well."

Heero's fingers lingered on his as they pulled away from each other. Quatre watched him walk quickly away until he was lost to his sight. He stood, rubbing wonderingly at the hand that Heero held just a few moments ago. Ten years and Heero had never even touched him voluntarily. _What made him start now?

* * *

_

In the morning, Quatre had trouble meeting Quaterina's eyes across the table. He had barely slept, his emotions being in such turmoil. He wasn't even hungry, and the aroma of boiling fish was making him nauseated.

"Hello in there!" a voice called from outside the cabin. Quatre jumped in bewilderment. They rarely received visitors, and none this early.

"Hello, yourself!" Rashid boomed as he started to stand.

A figure darkened the doorway, and Quatre caught his breath as he recognized Heero. He was without his finery, wearing only the simple clothes he normally did for their walks on the beach.

"I hope I have not disturbed the house," Heero said.

His face was a study in blankness as he said it. It was a ridiculous sentiment, though. Given the time of morning, it would have been impossible for a peasant not to disturb the house, let alone the prince of Arad Doman. For a moment, there was a shocked silence as Rashid and Quaterina realized who he was.

"Your Highness!" Quaterina gasped, rising and curtsying.

Rashid bowed deeply. "You honor us with your presence. Would you care to sit, milord?"

Quatre felt an urge to start laughing. It was unreal, seeing Heero stand there in his home in front of his parents. All the times he had agonized over wanting to tell them about his friendship with the prince, and yet he had always felt compelled to keep silent. Now he strode in as nonchalant as though he had breakfast there every morning.

Quaterina suddenly noticed that Quatre hadn't risen to pay respect to their prince. "Quatre," she whispered urgently. "Greet our guest."

A smile twisting his face, Quatre complied. He rose to his feet, bowed formally, and said, "Good morning, Heero."

Quaterina and Rashid both gasped at his familiarity. Quatre had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing. He sank back down into his chair, his legs feeling weak.

Heero's lips were quirking into a half smile. "Good morning, Quatre. I trust you slept well."

The familiarity of the question made him blush. Heero had asked him such things before, but never in the presence of others.

He drew a shaky breath. "Horribly, and you?"

"About the same, I'm afraid."

Quaterina and Rashid stared back and forth between the two, horror and disbelief mingling on their faces.

"I believe I will take you up on that offer of a seat, good man" Heero said in a monotone.

Rashid hastened to bring a chair to the table for him, and Heero took it with grace.

"Would you like breakfast, my lord?" Quaterina asked.

"Only if everyone else is eating."

It was settled. Quaterina and Rashid slowly reclaimed their seats after setting a plate of food before the prince. They picked up their own forks, but didn't eat, just continuing to stare.

Quatre had no idea what Heero was up to, but he was sure that if he let himself laugh, he would never stop. The secret of their friendship would now be known to his parents, and although the thought made him a little sad, it mostly brought him relief.

Heero attacked his food with gusto, and Quatre wondered if his friend had skipped breakfast or was just being polite. "This is wonderful. You are an excellent cook."

"Thank you, my lord," Quaterina stammered.

After he had consumed half his food, Heero put his fork down. "I suppose you are wondering why I am here."

"The thought had crossed our minds," Rashid answered.

"I have some things I need to discuss with Quatre this morning."

"With… Quatre?" Quaterina asked wonderingly.

Heero nodded politely. "For years, he has been my friend and loyal adviser. I can tell from your shocked faces that he has never told you of this. Please do not blame him, for he was only doing as I asked. I swore him to secrecy years ago and I am greatly impressed that he has kept his word."

Quatre glanced at his father's astounded look and nodded. Heero's grin only grew broader.

Realization dawned in Quaterina's eyes. "When you are walking on the beach?"

"Just on Tuesdays," Quatre quickly told her. "At least, normally."

"Why Quatre?" Rashid questioned.

"The best reason in the world. He is a good listener. Also, he doesn't have any notions about what a prince should and shouldn't do – at least not until recently. He always shows a fresh perspective. At any rate, I came by this morning because I need his advice and it cannot wait until next week. I decided that it was time to meet you as well, since there is no longer truly a need to keep our meetings a secret."

What Quatre could only do was stare at the unusually animated face of his friend, quite at ease with his parents' apparent astonishment.

Heero gave an almost silent snort. "It's funny. I feel like I already know you both. I've seen you both before, and Quatre has told me so much about you and has been such a large part of my life for so many years that I feel as though I know you."

"I wish we could say the same," Quaterina said with a weak smile.

For a moment there was silence at the table. Quatre clenched his hands in his lap, trying to hide their shaking. "When he was little, he used to sneak out of the castle and he didn't want anyone knowing where he was going," he explained.

"Three hours of freedom once a week isn't too much to ask for a child, isn't it?" Heero questioned.

"No," Rashid hastened to reassure him. "It must be horrible for a child not to have any time for himself to play, to constantly be watched over, and to be cooped up. A gilded cage is a cage nonetheless."

Heero smiled. "I should have had you speak with my father years ago."

It was Rashid's turn to flush red and drop his eyes.

"So, would it be all right if I borrow Quatre for the day? I promise I'll have him back by late afternoon."

Quaterina and Rashid exchanged glances. Finally Rashid spoke. "We would be honored to have our son advise you, Your Highness."

"Wonderful. Now, let's finish our breakfast, shall we?"

The rest of the meal was eaten in the same awestruck silence. It was just as well, for Quatre's thoughts were far too many to allow him to speak coherently. _What could Heero want to talk about that couldn't wait? _It had to be drastic to bring him here. He felt sure that it had to do something with both their impending betrothals, but he wished he knew what it was.

When everyone had finished eating, Heero pushed back from the table and rose to his feet. "Thank you for your kind hospitality."

"Should I send a midday meal with you, my lord?" Quaterina asked as she stood.

"That would be wonderful. Thank you."

"Thank you for honoring our home with your presence," Rashid replied.

Any expression on Heero's face vanished and his voice was grave and sincere as he answered, "It is an honor for me to be here and to meet the people who have raised and sheltered my friend."

While Quaterina quickly put together some bread and cheese, Quatre braided his hair and put on his shoes. He finished dressing just in time for Quaterina to hand him a striped bundle.

"I hope it's enough," Quaterina whispered with a worried frown.

Knowing Quaterina's tendency to provide more food than was needed, Quatre squeezed her hand. "I'm sure it will be fine."

After Heero said good-bye to Quaterina and Rashid, he and Quatre headed out the door and walked quickly toward the beach. The day was warm and fair, and Quatre breathed in deeply, filling his lungs with the salty air.

"Well, that went well," Heero commented, his face expressionless.

Quatre laughed. "I cannot believe you did that."

"Are you sorry that I did?"

"I guess not. It just feels odd."

"There's no going back now."

It was a strange comment, and when Quatre glanced at the other man, he saw a gleam in his eyes. He decided to let it drop as the beach came into sight. A small, dark object stood out against the light sand, and Quatre craned his neck trying to see what it was.

It looked like a boat, and disappointment washed over him. _Of all the days for someone to show up on our beach!_

Heero picked up speed and headed straight for the boat. "I thought we might actually go out on the water today instead of just sit by it," he said, glancing over to the slender form behind him.

Fear wrapped itself around Quatre's heart and began to squeeze. "I… I don't think that's a good idea," he stammered.

"It's a wonderful idea. If I can't get you into the water, I can at least get you out on the surface. And, technically, since you won't be _in _the ocean so much as _on _it, you'll be safe." He smiled. "I'll keep you safe, I promise."

Quatre looked back at him with wide eyes. "Well, this is a day of surprises."

"That's the plan," Heero answered cryptically with a slight glint in his cobalt eyes.

He took Quatre's pale hand and pulled him toward the boat. Quatre's heart skipped a beat at his friend's touch even as he struggled to make sure he didn't trip. Once they reached the boat, Quatre deposited the bundle of food in it.

"You get in and I'll push the boat out into the water," Heero instructed.

"Should I help?" Quatre asked, terrified that he might say yes. He hadn't so much as put a foot in the ocean since the night Rashid had found him.

"No, it is alright, Quatre."

"But a common peasant shouldn't have his prince to – "

"I thought we'd been through this already. We really do not know who or what you are."

"But – "

Heero held up a hand to silence his protests. "No. Today, Quatre, you are a lord, a prince, and someday the whole world shall know it."

Quatre scrambled into the boat. Once seated, he tried to settle his gangly legs in the cramped space, trying to look at least slightly regal. If Heero wanted him to be a prince, couldn't he at least pretend for a little while? _It's just the two of us; what harm can it do?_

Heero pushed the boat into the water and once it was a few feet out, he hopped in and began to row. Still struggling to pretend that he was royalty, Quatre bit his lip to keep from offering to help again.

Heero kept rowing until the little boat was quite a distance out from the shore and the water was peaceful. At last he stopped rowing and secured the oars. Leaning back, he closed his eyes and breathed in deeply.

For a long time neither of them spoke. Quatre stared down into the water, watching all the shifting colors of blue and green and wishing as he had many times before that he could dive beneath the surface and explore the depths of the sea. What secrets would he find there?

"What are you thinking?" Heero asked at last.

Quatre looked up to see his blue eyes studying him intently.

He shrugged. "Silly thoughts."

"Tell me."

"I was just wishing that I could dive down and swim with the fish, see their world."

Heero nodded as though it was the most natural wish in the world. He always seemed to understand him. For one wild moment, Quatre wondered what it would truly be like to spend his life with Heero. He dropped his eyes, afraid the other might read something in them that he did not wish him to know.

Heero did not let him retreat though. He leaned forward. "Quatre, look at me."

He complied reluctantly.

"You always duck your eyes when you talk to me and I hate it. Is it because I am a prince or are you hiding something from me?"

Quatre felt a guilty flush creep up his throat, and his cheeks began to burn.

"I mean, sometimes I think I know everything there is to know about you, and other times, you seem like a stranger to me."

"Sometimes, I seem like a stranger to me too," he admitted.

Heero shook his head and sighed. "Well, that's not what I wanted to come out here to talk to you about."

"What did you want to talk about?" Quatre asked, his heart beginning to beat faster.

"I think I have a solution to our problems."

"Really?"

"Yes," Heero said. His eyes grew soft, and he took Quatre's right hand in his. "Quatre, we've known each other for a long time, and you are my best friend."

"And you are mine."

Heero squeezed his hand and stared into his eyes.

"There's something I want to tell you." He leaned toward him, and Quatre held his breath.

"What is it?"

Suddenly his eyes went wide and he seemed to be staring at something just behind Quatre. "We've sprung a leak."

For a moment, Quatre wasn't sure what he had said, and then it hit him as he felt cold water seeping into his shoes. He looked down to see the bottom of the boat rapidly filling with water. He turned and saw it bubbling up between a crack in the wood on the floor behind him. Quickly, he scooped up the bundle of food and pulled off the outer cloth. He tried plugging the crack with it even as Heero picked up the oars and began to row.

"There's nothing to use to bail out the water," he called to Quatre.

Quatre nodded grimly as the water kept seeping in. He tore some cloth from his shirt and continued to try to stop up the leak, but it was no use. The water was creeping past his ankles, and the boat was sitting lower and lower in the water. He could feel himself panicking. _I'm not safe, I'm not safe, _he kept thinking over and over as the water lapped at his legs. "It's not working," he finally said, turning towards Heero.

He nodded grimly and pointed toward the shore. They had made a lot of progress, but it was still quite a ways off. "I'll get us as close as we can, and then we'll have to swim for it."

"No, the water… I can't!"

"Quatre, I will not let anything happen to you. I'm a strong swimmer, and together we will make it back to shore. Trust me."

"Is this another one of your surprises?"

Heero gave a sound that was half laugh, half grunt as he continued to strain at the oars. "Afraid I can't take credit for this one. This is definitely not how I envisioned this boat ride ending."

Quatre tried to stop himself from imagining how he had wanted it to end. There would be time enough for that later. Still, his heart was racing and he wasn't at all sure as the water crept up his calves.

"I'll manage."

"Okay, relax and you'll be all right. Jump away from the boat so it won't pull you under when it sinks. Kick with your legs and move your arms back and forth like you're grabbing something in front of you and pulling it toward you. I'm going to be right behind you. Just shout if you get in trouble. We've only got a few more seconds. Get ready to jump."

Quatre nodded and poised himself. Terror wrapped its icy hand around his heart and began to squeeze. Heero abandoned the oars and stood up beside him. "On the count of three. Ready? One, two, three!"

Quatre jumped as far away from the boat as he could. He hit the water and a second later heard another splash as Heero joined him. He panicked and flailed his arms about wildly. He started to cough violently as water entered his nose and mouth. What had Heero told him? _Relax. _As he bobbed up and down in the water, he thought, _I should have let him teach me to swim. I wish I could swim._

He stopped flailing wildly and began to move his arms back and forth rhythmically. He made a little bit of headway. _Heero was right. _He felt his clothes weighing so much more than usual, slowing him down. Even his braid seemed too heavy all of a sudden. He kicked free of his shoes and that at least helped. Focusing on the land, he started to kick.

The water became more rough the closer he got to the shore. He started to panic again, but a memory stirred. He had once seen Heero carried into the shore by cresting waves, riding in their peaks on his stomach. He fixed the memory in his mind, studying it, remembering the way Heero had started to move just a second before the wave hit him.

The waves began to crash around him and he swallowed seawater. His arms and legs felt as if there were dead weights attached to them. As he turned, he spied a large wave coming that he judged would make it all the way to the beach. Moments before it reached him, he started to swim again. The wave caught him and lifted him up. It carried him all the way to the beach and he ended up on the sand, where he coughed and gasped for air.

He crawled farther up the beach, away from the waves crashing around him, and then finally collapsed. He lay for a minute, catching his breath and gathering his strength. _I'm alive! _he thought. Relief and gratitude flooded through him as he grabbed fistfuls of fine sand and let it run through his fingers. Finally, he struggled to his feet.

"Heero, we made it," he called. He moved his hand to his throat to stroke his pearl and reassure himself that he hadn't lost it in the ocean. It was warm to his touch, but as his fingers twisted about it, it slowly regained its coolness.

There was no reply, and he glanced down the beach in either direction.

Nothing.

Panic began to swell in his chest as he cast his eyes back toward the sea. There was nothing, no dark figure, not even the remnants of the boat.

Heero was gone.

TBC

* * *

Author's Notes: 

… And the plot thickens! (manic laughter)

Quaterina is such a hard name to type and pronounce. I think it's pronounced "Katrina," since Quatre is pronounced "Katra," right? Easier on the tongue, but not on the eyes. Moving on, I only ate goose once; I was on a plane, and it's ok, I guess. Or was it duck! Now I'm just babbling again.

Quatre's hair is long because Quaterina flatly refused to cut it short to avoid ridicule from other people. It, according to her, is simply too beautiful to be cut. So, she thought of the next best thing which is to start braiding her son's long hair to minimize its unusual appearance (meaning a blonde braid is slightly less conspicuous than blonde hair flowing around in the breeze). Gomen, couldn't find anywhere to insert this in the story.

Yeah, Quatre isn't very tall. Let's just say his legs outgrew him in this fic. Or maybe there's another explanation… A polite Heero in this chappie… Geez, diplomacy could really change people.

Next chapter: the enchantment begins!

* * *

Replies to Reviews (Chapter 4): 

**Fairren** Waaaah! Gomen for updating too slow! I'm trying my hardest to update at least once a week so please pardon my incompetence. Don't worry, chapter 6 will be out by next week (would you kill me slowly if I update it at Sunday! Ehehehehehe…) Thanks SO much for being the first reviewer of chapter 4! (snuggles) Here's a star-shaped cookie for you!

**Romie** (cowers in a corner) Err, yeah, I guess that Quatre is someone who could be paired to anyone 'cause he's a very sensitive lover. He's a kind soul and a great friend to have so… Still, as stated in every warning that I have, this fic is gonna be a 3x4 because that is the pairing that I support and frankly, it works. Ugh, excuse my dribble. 'Nyways, I'm excited too about how you guys would react to Trowa's appearance. It's gonna be in the next chapter and I'm revising like crazy! The people in the house are like "Get away from her, she's talking to herself!" and I'm like, "Aaaaaaauuuuuggghhh!" Um, I hope I didn't scare anyone out there. Thanks for enjoying this fic (so far) and here's a spiral-shaped cookie for you!

**GundamPilot03** Vanyel? Quatre! Perish the thought! (laughs maniacally for a few minutes before people in the house shut her up with a pillow) Ow… 'Nyways, yeah, it would cause interesting problems if they get together, ne? I hope they don't. Thanks SO much for the review! Here's a jellyfish-shaped cookie! Hope you like it!

**Tri** Did I scare you! Did I traumatize you even! Gaaaah! I hope not! They may or may not. All I know is, what'll happen next is all part of my dastardly plot to finally finish this crappy story! Nyahahaha! Thanks for the review(?)! Here's a bear-shaped cookie! Whee!

**joyce** EH! (sigh) I guess I asked for it. Yeah, they could make a good pair, if not for the 3x4 warning I state in all my chapters. They could work, but Trowa is still gonna show up to persuade Quatre to be, well, his. Oops, was that a spoiler! Ehehehehehe…. (sweatdrops) 'Nyways, thanks for thinking it was great, although it _is_ OOC, and here's a dodecahedron-shaped cookie for you!

**Crystal Ketchum Darklight** Err, the wait is long! Waaah! I try to update at least once a week 'cause I'm also working on a Weiss Kreuz fic. My head's aching too much already! Waaaah! 'Nyways, hope you like the new installment. Thanks for the review and here's a clam-shaped cookie for you to munch on while you wait… or should I have given you a limited supply?

**Nerb** Err, you're gonna read about Trowa and Duo in the next chapter, and I bet you won't get enough of them (starts to drool). Err, moving on, I gave Quatre a braid 'cause I just wanna. I have ulterior motives too which you'll learn about in later chapters. If not, ask me again (hides under table) Err, about the whole Wufei and Treize thing, I think Wufei is still in denial (snickers). Augh! The dreaded Tomoyo outfits! (tried to shield her eyes) Err, don't get me wrong, I love some of Sakura's outfits but, well, they're JUST TOO MUCH! I'd rather see Touya and Yukito having kawaii "moments" (don't we _all_?) As much as a spearmint- striped Wufei (with an apron, no less!) is amusing, I think he won't agree to even go near that outfit (unless _someone _persuades him to with promises too unsuitable to print here). Wai! Show me anyways, onegai! If you think the braid is too much, tell me and I'll shorten it for ya! (unless anyone else protests…) Thanks for thinking this is fantastic! Here's a heart-shaped cookie for you! You can fill it in with any filling you want! (not pink though. It's scary. Or purple. Purple is _mine_!)


	6. Part 5

Standard disclaimers apply.

My goal in life is to watch the whole Hikaru no Go series and Full Metal Alchemist series. My best friend said the latter was angsty. Whee!

Rambles: See 9tails talk to the little green men on her windowsill. See 9tails giggling while listening to Beautiful Alone (ending song of Weiss Kreuz). See 9tails stare for hours on end at the speck on her wall, wondering about the consistency of the sugar on the coffee she drank yesterday. See 9tails wonder why she isn't straightjacketed yet. Gah, I'm starting to have a love-hate relationship with this fic.

**Out of the Sea**

By _Ninetails_

Love

is really like that

I have been devoured by

Love

it's really like that

Blissful

translated chorus of the song "Masaya" by Bamboo

Chapter 5

Down, deep down, in the bowels of the ocean, Trowa and Duo swam. Trowa smiled as he watched Duo flit around the sunken ship. Duo shone bright against the darkness of the wreckage. His glowing hair reflected against his silver scales and made it easy for Trowa to keep an eye on him.

Trowa smiled at his antics. His brother was only a year younger than he was, the youngest of the siblings, but he felt much older. Duo was fearless and full of passion, never hesitating to pursue what he wanted. Trowa admired his joy. For years his own heart had been too heavy to allow him to play.

Always uncannily quick to sense his feelings, Duo turned to him. "You're thinking of Raberba again," he accused in a soft voice.

Raberba had been gone for years, but the sound of his name still sent ripples of pain through him. He nodded slowly. "Someone has to."

With a flick of his tail, Duo was at his side. "He has not been forgotten, brother."

"I wish I could believe that," Trowa answered bitterly.

"It's just, the world of Merkin cannot mourn forever. We need to move on with our lives. What you're doing, it's not good."

"I am not mourning," Trowa almost snapped, his voice tight and strained. "You only mourn the dead. He is alive. I can feel it. And I will never stop searching for him."

Duo flipped his tail in frustration. Trowa couldn't say he blamed his brother. It had been years since everyone else had given up Raberba for dead. He couldn't even speak with his parents anymore about his quest for him.

He sighed deeply, and bubbles formed in the water. Duo giggled and poked at them. Trowa envied him. Nothing could keep his spirit somber for long.

Duo flipped over and smacked him playfully with his tail. Suddenly he shivered, and spines rose up along his back. A merfolk's spines, ordinarily hidden in the smooth skin of his/her back, only rose for one of two reasons: fear or a premonition.

Trowa glanced around uneasily but could neither see nor sense anything in the water, at least nothing that would elicit that reaction from his brother.

"What do you feel?" he asked in hushed tones. Mermaids were especially keen with this reflex, honed by centuries of watching out for the safety of merchildren. As near as Trowa could understand how it worked, they received strong feelings that told them when they needed to do something. The premonitions seemed to be uncontrollable. For most merfolk, the sensation was so mild, it only pierced the subconscious. For a few, though – Duo included – the sensation was much stronger.

"We should go to the surface," Duo answered just as quietly.

Trowa shuddered as though his scales had been rubbed the wrong way, and he fought the reflexive rising of his own spines. He did not want to go. He had only been to the surface twice, both within days after Raberba's disappearance. It was an experience he had hoped never to repeat. He knew better though, than to ignore one of Duo's premonitions.

He took a deep breath, and sucked in the water through his mouth. The gills on his throat flared widely for a moment as carbon dioxide was pushed out. "Let's go, then."

A flick of his tail sent him soaring upward through the water. A moment later Duo was back by his side. Trowa whipped his tail back and forth and exhilarated at the feeling of the water rushing past his face and flowing over his body. Beside him, Duo kept up until they were flying up through the water.

As they neared the surface, beams of light began to stream downward, illuminating the darkness. As it grew brighter, Trowa began to squint and his green eyes burned. He movements began to slow, schooling himself to be more cautious. Near him, he could feel Duo's trepidation.

He reached out his arms and took his brother's hand and together they broke the surface with a gasp. Out of the water his cheeks stung and his eyes felt dry and scratchy. His lungs began to burn, and he eased his mouth back down into the water, chiding himself for forgetting to hold his breath in the foreign air.

He was about to ask Duo what they should do next when he sensed a change in the motion of the water as it moved around him. Turning his head to the left, he spied a small boat.

It was tiny compared with the ones he had seen at the bottom of the ocean. It bobbed up and down on the water as it slowly moved toward them.

_They've seen us! _he thought. A moment later he realized that it wasn't so, because the two humans in the boat seemed to be looking only at each other. He slipped below the surface of the water and pulled Duo down with him. Together they moved closer to the boat, circling it warily. At last, the vessel stood still. A minute passed and nothing happened. Slowly they let their heads break the surface once again.

He could hear the people speaking before he could catch a sight of them. The sounds seemed sharp and indistinct to him and he could not glean any meaning from them. At last he could see the speakers clearly, his distance and the angle of the boat most effective for him to do so. There was a brown-haired man leaning close to what he first thought of to be a woman. The man had hair the color of silt found in the deeper ocean beds. He seemed to be speaking quite earnestly, but Trowa could not understand his words.

He turned to look at the other occupant of the boat.. And blinked. The woman he thought who was with the man was in fact a man. He should've known better. Human women wore bulky cloths around their waists that often reached to the ground. The other man had a long braid where a few wisps of golden locks escaped to be played with by the wind. He blinked again. Blonde? He floated a few inches more toward the boat, suddenly eager to catch a glimpse of the other man's face. When he did, he felt his heart stop. _Raberba! _His soul knew him and cried out in such a mixture of joy and sorrow as he had never felt in his life.

He turned to Duo to tell him. The young merman was staring at the human with dark hair with rapt attention. His brother's eyes were wide, and he was drifting closer to the boat as though drawn to it. He reached out his hand to touch it.

"Duo!" Trowa hissed.

Duo whirled, startled, and his spines raised. One of them hit the bottom of the boat, puncturing it. Moments later the dark-haired man stood up in the boat and both Trowa and Duo hastily plunged back into the water.

"Did you see?" Trowa asked, gripping his brother's arm.

"Yes, he was so beautiful."

"No, not him, the other one, it was Raberba!"

"What?"

"It was _Raberba_, in the boat!"

"But that's impossible! Are you sure?" Duo asked, his face agape in complete astonishment.

"It was Raberba. I felt him."

"But… how?"

The boat began to move away, and Trowa turned to follow it stealthily. He had spent years searching for Raberba, and he wasn't about to lose him now. Duo swam beside him.

After a short distance the boat stopped again. _What are they doing? _Slowly, carefully, Trowa lifted his head out of the water. Raberba and the other man were both standing up. Suddenly, Raberba jumped overboard. The other man jumped as well, but his foot got tangled in something that looked like seaweed in the bottom of the boat. He fell into the water, hitting his head with a dull thud against the side of the boat.

Raberba was swimming on top of the water. Trowa noted that he was moving and splashing with wasted motions, as though he were an infant. His legs flailed about uselessly, poor substitutes for the glorious tail he had once had. Trowa moved to intercept him, but a motion he saw from the corner of his eye stopped him.

The dark-haired man had sunk, unmoving, below the surface of the water. Duo reached out for him and before Trowa could stop him, he clasped the human around the chest and hauled him back to the surface.

His brother coughed and spluttered as he struggled to keep his mouth below water and the human's above it. Trowa moved to help him, but Duo waved him off.

"Make sure Raberba makes it."

For a moment Trowa was torn between following Raberba or helping his brother. _At least Duo is not in any real danger as long as he takes a breath of water from time to time, _he told himself. With a flick of his tail he was off after Raberba.

He finally seemed to find his own rhythm of flailing to stay atop the water. It was awkward looking, but it seemed to be working. Trowa swam just behind and below him, keeping a watchful eye.

All the time, his thoughts were racing. He didn't know which was harder to believe: that he had finally found him, or that he had been turned into a human. He needed to make contact with him, and find a way to turn him back into a merman.

Raberba faltered in the water and Trowa surged forward, ready to buoy him up if he needed it. He picked up his own rhythm, though, and pressed on.

The closer they came to shore, the more relieved he became regarding Raberba's safety and the greater he worried about his own. He came to a stop and Trowa waited. He watched him as he treaded the water above him. The pull of the ocean toward the shore had grown strong, and he had to start putting energy into keeping himself from letting its force carry him forward.

Raberba started swimming again, and moments later a wave picked him up and carried him to dry land. Trowa lifted his head out of the water, watching as he lay on the sand, coughing. Slowly he climbed to his feet, and Trowa breathed a sigh of relief. Raberba didn't seem to be hurt.

He began shouting and then turned and ran up the beach. He was probably looking for the human. Trowa turned and searched the water for Duo. His brother was out past the waves, still supporting the human. Trowa moved to help him.

"We have to get him up onto the shore without Raberba seeing us," Trowa stated with deep pain in his voice.

"Why? If it is truly Raberba, why should it matter if he sees us?" Duo gasped, his voice sounding unnaturally loud and piercing to him as he spoke into the air.

"He has been turned into a human. Who knows if he has memory of who he is? I need time to think how best to approach him."

"Trowa, you worry too much," Duo informed him with a wide grin.

They watched as Raberba raced down the beach in the other direction, still shouting. He turned and began to walk, half-stumbling back to the beach again.

"All right, now," Trowa said.

"How will we get him up on the sand?"

"Let a wave carry him in."

Duo shook his head fiercely, his long tresses glistening in the blistering sun. "If he remains unconscious with his head in the water, he'll die."

"We can't risk getting closer to the shore."

"I didn't bring him this far to let him drown. We're awake, so we have a better chance of helping him get to land without hurting ourselves than he has of getting there carried by the tides."

Trowa knew his brother was right. They had to keep the human's head above the water. "I have an idea. When I say so, start swimming, on top of the water. We want the waves to lift us up on the sand. Remember to take a deep breath and hold it."

Duo nodded, violet eyes wide.

Trowa turned and studied the waves. A large one was rolling toward them. "Ready. Now!"

He took a deep breath, turned, and grabbed hold of the man. The wave caught the three of them and lifted them up onto the sand. Trowa lay for a moment, stunned. Involuntarily, he gasped. As the air rushed into him, he began to suffocate. He flipped over on his stomach, beating at the sand and began dragging his body back to the water. He started to grow faint. His lungs were burning, and his vision was blurring. Just when he thought he was going to collapse, a wave splashed up higher than the others and flooded his mouth with water. He breathed in with a long gasp and used the last of his strength to propel his body into the water, where he drifted for a moment, gathering his strength.

He heard a sound beside him and turned to see Duo doing the same thing. "Will he live?" Trowa asked him.

"I don't know. I think so," his brother answered.

Trowa nodded. "Time for us to go." He dragged himself a few more feet into the water before he could get his tail clear from the low level of the ground. Then he shot forward several yards and turned when he felt himself a safe distance from the sand.

Duo was still at the edge of the water, and Trowa grew alarmed. Did he not have the strength to drag himself into the water? Duo stirred then, and Trowa could not believe his eyes. His brother was dragging himself back to the man's side!

Duo bent low over him, and Trowa watched in disbelief as his brother kissed the still figure. Then he jerked his head up as though startled and quickly pulled himself back to the water. Within moments he had cleared the sand. He glided up to Trowa with a guilty look on his face. "He's alive," he confirmed.

"Did he see you?"

Duo dropped his eyes. "Yes," he whispered.

Trowa felt his insides numb. "Then we must go, quickly."

"I don't think he saw my tail."

"We can't take that risk. We must go now and we shall not speak of this to anyone."

As they dove beneath the waves, Trowa was afraid to think about what they had just done. They didn't speak until they had reached the sunken ship Duo had been exploring earlier.

Duo was the first to speak. "What could have turned Raberba into a human?"

Trowa grimaced. "I have my suspicions."

Duo nodded slowly. "It would have to be, wouldn't it? There's no other way this could have happened."

"None that I know of."

"So, can he be changed back?"

"I wish I knew," Trowa told him, his heart heavy with doubt. Just as a big problem as changing Raberba back would be telling him what he really was. Having watched him swim, Trowa was convinced Raberba could have no memory of who he really was. Then, provided he could convince Raberba of the truth and find a way to change him back, would he even want to return?

"Who do you think he was?"

Startled, he looked at Duo. "What?"

"The man, who do you think he was?"

Trowa shook his head. "I have no idea."

Duo sighed heavily. "He was so beautiful."

Trowa threw him a sharp glance. The tone in his brother's voice made him nervous. "Best to forget about him, Duo. Merkin and humans are not meant to interact. What happened today was an accident, and we must try and forget it even happened."

He recognized the fire that flashed in his brother's purple eyes. He had seen it there before and it had always meant trouble. Trowa was going to have to keep an eye on his little brother.

* * *

Trowa was worried. Duo had disappeared after dinner and now with the morning, it was apparent that he had never returned home. He never should have let his brother out of his sight, not with what he had said about the human and the look of defiance he had given him. 

_There is but one person who could have changed Raberba into a human, _he thought. Duo knew that as well, and Trowa feared that he might have done something foolish in his desire to see the human male again. There was only one way to find out.

He had to visit the Sea Witch.

* * *

The Sea Witch lived outside the borders of the world of mer-kin, and though all knew how to reach her caves, all merkin were forbidden to have any contact with her. Violation of that law could result in banishment for the merkin foolish enough to speak with her. 

Years before she had ruled over the kingdom of the dryads and had waged war against the merkin. Dryads were distant cousins to merkin; indeed, the two were often mistaken for one another by humans. Instead of tails, though, the dryads had bodies that more closely resembled sea serpents, long and slender. The Witch had risen to power among the dryads and eventually claimed that throne, killing many of her own kind in the process. During the great war that ensued, Trowa and Duo's ancestors had been instrumental in defeating the Witch and sending her into exile.

The Witch couldn't be killed – at least, that was the legend. The best their forefathers had been able to do was help her own people depose her. She lived in exile from her kind. No one knew how strong her magic was or from where it came.

Since he had seen Raberba as a human, there had been little doubt in his mind as to how he had gotten that way. The Sea Witch, an ancient, evil crone, was the only one capable of performing that kind of magic.

He shuddered as he thought about all the stories he had heard as a young merchild. Some said that the reason no one had been able to kill the Witch was because she was immortal and that she was actually thousands of years old and had been partly responsible for the destruction of ancient islands and civilizations. A cousin of one of his friends had wandered too near the Sea Witch's caves, and she had cursed him so that he died excruciatingly, his scales peeling off slowly and his internal organs shifting about on their own. They said, in the end, that he had coughed up his own heart.

_Mother and Father will kill me if they hear I've come here, risking my life, breaking the law, disgracing my family… if the Witch doesn't kill me first._

As he neared the sea caves, he felt a change in the water; there was a chill that wasn't present elsewhere. All he could think about was the boy choking on his own heart. He pressed on, though everything in him was screaming to turn back.

At the entrance to the largest cave, he stopped. "Hello?" he called into the gloom.

"Come in," a silky voice whispered.

He floated in slowly, eyes adjusting to a dark that was greater than any he had ever known. The blackness was caused by more than the depth of the sea or lack of a light source; it was a darkness that seemed to emanate from the very walls of the cave. At last he came into a sort of room and saw her.

The Witch was hideous in appearance. Her upper body was like a mermaid's, only twisted and disfigured. The rest of her body was that of a sea serpent. Coils of her tail lay draped over the bare stone and disappeared into the darkness, so that he had no idea of her true length. Hair like seaweed seemed to have a life of its own as it twisted around her. The only thing of beauty was a string of pearls she wore around her neck. Each pearl was huge and dark in color, glowing with a luster all its own.

The only light in the room came from a cage at one end, where a host of iridescent fish swam, trapped and helpless. He gulped, hoping that she wasn't using the fish for anything other than a light source. _I heard she eats her own kind, _the thought popped into his head. Aside from them, the room was empty and barren. He looked back at her and realized the blackness he had earlier thought had been coming from the very walls of the cave were instead coming from her. Like ink being sprayed by an octopus; her very skin seemed to give off some sort of black oil. _Dark as her soul…_

"What do you seek of the Sea Witch?" she hissed, her forked tongue flicking out between her fangs.

Faced with her, he knew that he had been foolish to think that he could come here to escape with his life. Even if he did manage to ask her about Raberba and Duo, she would never tell him – there was no gain in it for her. _No, I'll just have to be clever. There must be some other way to find out if she changed them and how she did it._

Suddenly, he was speaking, and he was astonished at the words coming out of his mouth. "I wish to be human."

She cackled, and the sound sent chills up his spine. "And why would a prince of the merkin want that?"

He gasped. "You know who I am," he said with disbelieving certainty.

She laughed, and the sound frightened him more than any he had ever heard. "Of course I

know. I am, after all, _me_." She paused just long enough to let that sink in and to let him wonder what else she might know. "You are Trowa, and you are one of the royal princes of the merkin, descended from the line of Al' Thor, are you not?"

He refused to answer her, though she was right.

She smiled coyly, her fangs offsetting whatever humor there was to be found in the situation. "No need to answer, for I know the truth. Now tell me, Trowa of the merkin, why do you want to be human?"

"I have fallen in love with a human," he blurted, chastising himself for his disorientation.

"Yes, there seems to be a lot of that going around," she said with amusement.

Duo had been to see her, just as Trowa had feared. _Duo, what have you done? _The only way he could help his brother now, and speak with Raberba, was to follow. He took a deep steadying breath. "Can you change me?"

"Well, it isn't that easy, my young one. Nothing comes without a price. You say you would do this for love?"

He nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

"And the human, does he love you?" she asked with a sly knowing smirk.

Trowa was stunned. She _did _know the truth. "I do not know, I hope so," he answered truthfully.

"Loving is always a risk, you know," she told him in a conversational tone. "You open up to someone and you risk rejection and ridicule. That's the risk everyone who loves takes. You, though, you seem to be willing to risk a bit more. You are willing to risk leaving your home and your family to travel to a strange and dangerous world where you might have to live out your days alone. Is that true?"

He nodded, his anxiety increasing with every word she spoke.

"My, my, that certainly is a lot to risk," she said as she circled him slowly. "Well, if you are willing to risk that much, then surely you will be willing to risk just a little bit more."

"What?" he whispered hoarsely.

She was behind him now and she put her lips close to his ear. Her tongue flicked out, tickling him. "Your life."

"NO!" he shouted, spinning around.

She pressed her finger against his lips. "Shhh. Wait until you hear the deal.

"I will turn you into a human. You will then have seven days to convince the young man to fall in love with you. By sunset on the seventh day, he must agree to be bonded to you. If he does, you will then live out your life with him, happily ever after."

"And if he doesn't?"

"Then you will die and your soul will die with you."

He reeled back, aghast. Merkin believed that the soul lived on even after the body had died and that it went to a better place. They also believed that the souls of the dead watched out for their living descendants. _Could the Witch actually kill the soul as well as the body? _Looking into her eyes, he had no choice but to believe it, for he could see no soul within her.

"No, the price is too high." He shook his head, hoping the movement would shake him free of the hypnotic spell her voice was weaving around him.

"Suit yourself," the Witch said, and started to slither away. She glanced back over her shoulder. "You must not love him very much, though, if you're not willing to take the risk. Maybe other men of your species have all the courage. A young merman was in here just this morning, and _he _did not think the price too high."

_Duo! _He would be dead within a week if he could not win the love of the man he had saved. Trowa had to help him, to save him. He wouldn't be able to help him down here, though. "I… accept the risk."

The Witch slithered back toward him, an evil smile dancing across her face. "Let us get started then."

He allowed her to lead him into the darkest recesses of the cave. At her bidding, he sat in the center of a huge clamshell. She slithered around him and whispered words that he could not understand. She finally stopped before him, and he noticed the pearls around her neck were glowing. They grew brighter by the moment, and the Witch began rubbing the strand between her thumb and middle finger.

"Will I look like them?" he asked, hating the tremor in his voice.

"Yes."

"What about their garments?"

"I can provide you with something, if you wish, if you'll answer a question."

"Wh – what?"

"Your young man – has he seen you, heard your voice?"

"No."

"Have you heard his?"

"No," he replied, panicking now. "Will I be able to understand him, and will he understand me?"

"Yes," the Witch said with a casual wave of her hand. "So, how will you know him?"

"I have seen him."

"Ah. Is he handsome?"

"He is beautiful."

"Do you know where to find him or what name he is called by?"

"No, I do not," he said, realizing for the first time that he might not even go by the name Raberba.

"So, the only way you can find him is by _seeing _him?"

"Yes."

The Witch cackled with satisfaction. "Good luck in finding him, then… without your _eyes_!"

Trowa opened his mouth to ask what she meant, but blinding pain ripped through him and only a scream came out. His body felt as though it were being split in two. His vision began to fade, and the last things he saw before everything went black were the glowing pearls.

"You didn't think it would be that easy, did you?" her voice pierced the haze of his pain. "You didn't think I would extract some price for my services? You might be willing to gamble everything, but I am not."

"How am I to find him?" he shouted, raising his hands before him and groping for the wall.

"That is your problem to deal with, not mine," she said, her voice fading as though she were moving away from him.

"What could you possibly gain from my death?"

"Let's just say that the suffering of your kind is the prize I am seeking. I'm sure the death of one, or _two_, of their princes would bring quite a lot of suffering. Speaking of which, you have about five minutes before the transformation is complete and you can no longer breath water.

"If I were you, I'd start swimming."

"Help me!" he shouted in the darkness.

There was no answer. The Sea Witch was gone.

His lungs were starting to ache, and it was getting harder to breathe. He tried to push off from the clamshell, but his disintegrating tail failed him. Desperately, he flailed out with his arms as he had seen Raberba do when he was swimming for the shore.

He could feel himself moving forward through the water, but at an agonizingly slow rate. He bumped into the wall and, disoriented, he felt for the passage through which he had come. At last he found it and made his way back out of the cave.

He swam as fast as he could, heading for the surface, and eventually the water grew warmer around him, the cold of the Witch's lair fading behind him. His body was still changing, he could feel it, and the pain was unbearable. He was having a harder time with each breath he tried to draw, and desperation lent him strength. He kicked and splashed, swimming as fast as he could.

He began to choke and at the same time he could feel his tail split completely. The pain was wrenching. He fought hard to suppress the scream he would have let out if not for the fact that he was rapidly running out of something to breathe. He gave a mighty kick first with one half and then the other – _no, my legs! _he corrected himself – and his head broke the surface of the water.

He gasped, sucking in the air, drinking it as he had once breathed the water. He treaded the water for a moment, taking deep breaths and coughing up water. His new legs suddenly seemed heavier. He reached down to touch them with his hand. There seemed to be some sort of rough covering over them. The Witch had at least given him some clothing.

At last his breathing evened out. He needed to make it to shore, though he wasn't sure how much longer he could swim. Without his eyes, he would have to find another way to locate the land. If he set off in the wrong direction, he wouldn't discover the mistake in time to save himself.

He heard the sound of the waves crashing on the beach. On his body he still felt the play of the water. The gentle waves moved in one direction while the undertow pulled in the opposite direction. He turned and began to swim with the tide.

TBC

* * *

Author's Notes: 

Just think… merman Trowa and the sight of those amazing pecs… (drools) Has anyone seen the Johnnie Walker commercial? The one with the indistinct beings who were swimming in the sea then they go to land, and whoa, gorgeous men all around! Reminded me of this fic. Ehehehe…

Oh, gomen for my crappy translation of a very wonderful song. I took the liberty of translating "Masaya" which directly translates to "Happy" as "Blissful" 'coz it sounds much better. Why did I include it? Well, despite the title, it's a very, very sadmelancholic song. A good irony. Just like this fic.

Next chapter, unexpected meetings from some very strange guests, and Quatre and Heero gets confused. Ugh, I am getting crappier by the second.

* * *

Replies to Reviews: I'm gonna tone down a bit. I just realized that my babbling in everything here (except in the fic) contributes to the aching in my head (must be the extra brain cells needed to generate dribble). Thanks people, your reviews are inspiring! 

**Romie** Well, Heero's back and yes, I (err, I mean anyone) would be lucky to have Quatre! Nyahaha! Hope you like this chapter and thanks for the review! (hands over a doughnut – flavor of your choice)

**Nerb** Err, now you know the answers to your questions, ne? (beams) As for the unanswered ones, I'll leave you to ponder on them for a while more. Waaah! I want that picture! (drools) No pressure though, I just can't get an apron-ed Wuffers outta my mind! Oh, I realized that I didn't tell you what Wufei wears as a servant. It's just the normal, liveried uniform of a high (and I mean _very _high)-ranking servant. Not sure as to what colors the livery is yet… Yeah, Tomoyo has a sick/strange mind. I like some of the outfits, though I can't remember which ones(shrugs). Oh no! Not the "Heero, come and kill me!" call! (frantically tries to find some shelter before Nerb shatters her eardrums) Nya, I wanna bring all the GW boys home too, but they prove too slippery for my possessive clutches(bawls). Maybe I shouldn't give you another cookie… (wags finger and hands over a sugarless graham cracker) Ehehehe, not! Here's a doughnut (flavor of your choice). Hope ya like it!

**Meiran Chang** (takes a very deep breath) Thanks for thinking that Heero is not OOC, I kinda wanted people to realize that there's more to him than his Soldier Boy façade. I do agree with you regarding Quatre's OOCness; I did make him too much of a weak-hearted guy and I promise to remedy that in the following chapters. (oh no! more work for me!) As for Wufei, well, his personality is subject for a lot of interpretation. It's an AU and his background is still a mystery so we're still not sure what his personality is supposed to be, ne? (oh no, now I have to work on Wufei's background story as well!) Still deciding whether to further the relationship of Treize and Wufei, but what they have going right now _is _cute. Vanyel "peacock" Ashkevron? The last herald mage with the silver eyes and black hair and who is totally in love with Tylendel? (well, until the other guy came along after he died snickers) Gomen, I had to think of a name and since "The Last Herald Mage" trilogy is subject for frustration for me, I decided to borrow his name, although Vanyel is nothing like the Vanyel in my fic. Why? I haven't read the books yet. My best friend told me about it around 5 years ago when her cousin let her borrow the 3 books and I was SO envious so I decided to scout for them. I finally found "Magic's Pawn" in a bookstore in Canada three years ago but I couldn't buy it 'coz I already spent my money at that time (with, yeah, books bawls). (sighs) Oh well… Oh, I kinda knew that Quaterina is really his mom, but thanks for verifying that for me. I remedied the mistake you pointed out, thanks by the way, and I would be ever grateful if you point out more. I am so embarrassed. (sighs) The pains of not having a beta (well, I do have one but she's too busy on my Weiss Kreuz fic so… I dare not bother her) You've added it to your C2! (does The Baka Dance until she can't dance no more) THANK YOU SO MUCH! You even added it to your rec list! Wai! Oh no, more pressure, augh! Don't worry, I update weekly (at least) and I'm gonna start picking up the pace soon 'cause I have to finish this before June. This is gonna be one of my last fics for a long time and I want it to be as good as I first envisioned it to be. Thanks for the (quite long) review and care for a doughnut? Flavor of your choice… you can add sprinkles/mallows/nuts too…

**SpencerBrown** Augh! Another one! I admit that Heero and Quatre make a rather sweet couple but… (shuts up) I'll see if I can add more 1x4 moments, but there's no guarantee of that though. I just hope you enjoy the following chapters. Thanks for the review! Here's a doughnut, flavor of your choice!

**Crystal Ketchum Darklight** Augh, my mind is currently shut off from all the thinking I do. My notes are scattered all over the house (I even wrote on my brother's report card, but that's beside the point), and I'm frantically trying to hide them 'coz I'm a closet yaoi fangirl and no one in this house should know! (gets a creepy gleam in her eyes…) Err, hope you like this chappie and thanks for the review! Here's a doughnut, and help yourself to any topping you want!

**PATTY 40** Ehehehe, I'll try to update more and I hope you like this chappie! Thanks SO much for the review and here's a doughnut (flavor of your choice), enjoy!

**Fairren** Nyahaha! Glad you liked the cookie! I'm a good author! Wai, arigatou! (hugs Fairren to death) I hope you like this chappie and thanks for the review! Here's a doughnut for you! (flavor and topping of your choice)

**Galyn Solo** Oh yeah, the people with unbalanced limb/body sizes. I think they're the people who can't touch their toes or something (or maybe those are the people who don't have good flexibility shrugs) Um, thanks for the suggestion, and we'll see what really up with Quat's long legs in the next chapters, k? (beams) Squee! I have selective memory too! Or maybe I have selective amnesia, I dunno. I'm actually having trouble piecing up the story together 'cause I always forget what I have written in the previous chaps (and I'm too lazy to read them again) so… You wanna read the original book? Then you'll know the whole story! Noooo! I better shut you up permanently to avoid spoilers (gets a Heero Yuy 'ninmu kanryou" look) Nyahahaha! Err, gomen, I also have brief bouts of insanity (sweatdrops). Thanks for not rushing, I'm halfway through part 6 already and I'm currently stuck (sighs), but I'll do my best to continue this intriguing (rolls eyes) story. Thanks SO much for the review and here's a doughnut for you! Of course, flavor/sprinkles/toppings of your choice.

**GundamPilot03** Nyahaha! Glad you like the cookie! Yeah, poor Hee-chan and Quats, though I hope this chappie justifies their sufferings. (blinks) Or not. You don't like Vanyel? Wonder why… ehehehe, hope you like this chappie. Put me through hell (and I swear I aged about 10 years), but it was worth it… I think. You've been dubbed Trowa Barton! Why! Is it the work of delusional minds? I wanna know! Nyahahaha! Or not, if it's too personal or something… Hope you like this next installment and I really hope you like doughnuts. (hands over a doughnut – flavor/toppings of your choice)

**joyce** (sighs) I admit that this could make a good 1x4 fic, if it weren't for this chappie. I still can't believe I made a _potential _1x4! My secret love pair is actually 2x3! But they're brothers in this fic so I'm kinda sad. Oh well, I could make another fic where there's a potential 2x3, but my mind's kinda fried right now so… (bawls) Gomen for another cliffhanger but I think it's time for Quatre to hog the spotlight again in the next chapter, don't you think? Ehehehe… thanks for the review and here's a doughnut! (flavor/toppings of your choice)


	7. Part 6

Standard disclaimers apply. Please don't sue me.

**ADVANCED APOLOGY**: GOMEN MINNA! I WON'T BE ABLE TO UPDATE FOR A WHILE. I JUST CAME BACK FROM A MEETING AND FOUND OUT THAT SK OFFICIALS OF OUR CITY (I'M OBVIOUSLY ONE) ARE REQUIRED TO ATTEND A 5-DAY SEMINAR IN A FARAWAY PLACE (BAGUIO). THAT'S IT. SEE Y'ALL NEXT WEEK! (I HAVEN'T EVEN STARTED WRITING CHAPTER 7 YET...)

My goal in life is to write the angstiest fic that would make even me cry. Whee!

**Out of the Sea**

By _Ninetails_

Chapter 6

_He walked down the middle of the walkway, toward the dais where the symbol of the Light was etched, a white flame on a gold background. He stared at his soon to be bonded as the man stood beside Master Padan. He smiled at him, and the gesture sent shivers up Quatre's spine. He prayed that the Light would have mercy and strike him dead before he reached them. _

* * *

"Heero!" Quatre shouted as loud as he could, panic lacing his voice. 

When there was no reply, Quatre turned and tried to run down the beach. His wet clothing clung uncomfortably to his lithe body and he fell to his knees several times. He cursed his clumsiness, but he kept struggling back up, though. Amidst his haste, the ribbon tying his braid broke and his heavy golden locks unraveled to drape around his pallid features. He reached the end of the beach bordered by limestone cliffs and turned around, running back the other way.

Nothing.

He headed back up the beach more slowly, inspecting the sand for footprints as well. Maybe, just maybe, Heero had reached the beach first and went to get help. He clung to the slender thread of hope, though in his heart he didn't believe it. Heero would not have left with him still in the water.

The only set of footprints he found farther up the beach were his and the ones they had left earlier when they had arrived. He turned back and scanned the length of the beach once more.

_There! _There was something dark on the sand. He picked up his gait and all but ran, stumbling toward it. When he got closer he saw that it was Heero, lying in a crumpled heap on the sand.

He fell on his knees beside his still form, a lancing pain entering his heart. He noted the trickle of blood oozing sluggishly from a cut on his forehead and he once again tore a piece of his shirt to bandage the wound. Shrugging off his already ruined shirt, he used it to cushion the lying form's head on the sand. Slowly, Heero straightened up and looked at him wide-eyed.

"You saved me."

"No," Quatre answered in a whisper, shaking his head.

"You did, I saw you," he insisted.

Confusion filled him. "Heero, I – I thought I'd lost you."

"My foot got tangled in the rope, and I hit my head on the bow of the boat. I woke up here with you leaning over me. You saved me."

"I didn't. I just found you, here on the beach. Maybe the tide carried you in."

Heero shook his head groggily. "No, it was you. You bent down and kissed me and then… you went away."

"Heero, I didn't save you and I didn't kiss you."

"Well, somebody did and he had your hair and your beautiful skin. So, if it wasn't you, who was it?"

"I don't know," Quatre said, rocking back on his heels and preparing to stand.

Heero grabbed his hand, and his voice dropped low. It was commanding, insistent. "I shall be bonded to the one who saved me."

Quatre stared into his eyes for a long moment with his heart in his throat. Heero thought it was he. _And what of it? _Heero had been dreaming; no one else had been on the beach but himself. The tide must have washed him up onshore.

_But what if it didn't? _his mind demanded. Then Heero would be bonding the wrong person. _And who has more right to be bonded to him than me? _Quatre flushed at his own arrogance.

His turquoise orbs mirrored the misery of the ocean's song. "Then you shall not be bonded to me."

* * *

Quatre sat on his bed with his knees tucked under his chin. For all the years they had known each other, he and Heero had never parted on uneasy terms. He refused to believe that he hadn't saved him from drowning. It would have been so easy to lie to him, but Quatre had never lied to him about anything before and he wasn't about to start now. He owed Heero the truth even if he wouldn't accept it. 

When he had come home his parents had taken one look at his bedraggled, half-naked form covered by Heero's coat and wisely refrained from asking questions. Despite his anxiety over Heero, he was also more than a little amazed that he had survived his swim in the ocean.

"The voice was wrong," he whispered to himself. And if the voice was wrong about that, it could be wrong about other things. Maybe he was somebody, somebody special.

Long after the cottage had grown dark and quiet, he finally lay down and closed his eyes. He fell asleep, and the dreams came.

* * *

_The boat was behind him, and he was swimming for the shore. He was afraid he wouldn't make it. _If you go into the water, you will die, _the voice in his head whispered. But the rush of water against his skin felt good. He glanced back but did not see Heero. Behind him, though, just beneath the surface of the water, there was a shadow. The shadow's eyes stared at him. Green as the sea. They always stare_. 

_The eyes beckoned him down into the depths, below the surface, into the darkness. He followed, swimming, laughing. He felt so alive._

_The shadow disappeared, and the world grew dark as night. The water was cold. It hurt his skin, it was so cold. It wasn't as cold as the laughter, though – that seemed to come from everywhere. The darkness threatened to overwhelm him, and he was afraid._

_There was a light shining in the darkness, and he was drawn to it. In the light there were pearls, beautiful and large. He reached out and took one of them and hid it away._

_Then came the voice – the hard one, not the soft one. It floated on the water. "Never return… If you go into the ocean you will die along with everyone you love… You are nothing, nobody… No one will miss you… No one will care…" There were other words, but he couldn't hear them. _

_"I won't die," he yelled. "I won't die." Defiant._

He woke up whispering, "I won't die."

The nightmares faded back into the darkness, and he was left alone in the cold light of the morning. he had something, though, the barest shred of a memory, but it was more than he had ever had and he clung to it as a child clings to his mother's skirt.

The night that Rashid had pulled him out of the ocean, the water had been cold.

* * *

The day passed in a blur of misery. He spent most of the afternoon running errands for his mother and preserving fish that his father had caught that morning. At dinner everyone ate in a silence that he was grateful for. Afterward he excused himself and headed for the beach. 

He both desired and dreaded to see Heero and wasn't really sure which emotion was stronger. It was not his friend's day to be at the beach, but a part of him hoped he would be there, waiting for him.

As he crested the hill, he had to shield his eyes against the rays of the sun as it approached the horizon. Someone was sitting on the beach facing the ocean. _Sitting on our spot. _With the sun in his eyes he couldn't tell who it was, but was sure it must be Heero.

He was within ten feet of the man before he realized that he was a stranger. Startled , he stopped. The man was naked from the waist up and was cradling his head in his hands. His shoulders were broad and well-muscled. His large hands looked powerful, whereas the long, slender fingers added an air of grace to them. His legs, clad in simple pants, seemed impossibly long and were stretched out on the sand. He had auburn hair, much the same color as that of Heero's father. Quatre gasped as he realized that his skin was deathly white with patches of red where the sun of the day had burned him.

Suddenly the man lifted his head, and Quatre took a step back. The man cocked his head as though listening, and sniffed the air as an animal would.

"Raberba?" he asked softly.

"I'm sorry sir, you are mistaken," he informed the stranger.

A smile burst over the man's face, and Quatre jumped back as he scrambled to his feet like a newborn colt. "Raberba! It _is _you!"

"I'm sorry. Sir, I do not know this Raberba of whom you speak of. I am Quatre."

"Quatre… ," he said slowly, as though he were tasting the word in his mouth.

His presence here on _his _beach and in such a state of undress unnerved him and he backed up, ready to bolt. It was then that the strange man finally looked at him.

Quatre gasped and stopped in his tracks. _His eyes! _They were almost like the verdant eyes from his dreams, the eyes of the shadow that always stood behind Heero. "You, who are you?" he asked, feeling dazed.

"I am Trowa, and I have been searching for you for a very long time."

"Searching for Raberba, you mean."

"Searching for _you_, no matter what name you are called by here."

Quatre felt dizzy, as though he was standing on the edge of a particularly steep cliff. It was then that he noticed the eerie fixation of his eyes, their unblinking stare. "Your eyes?" he asked, inexplicably drawn to the tall figure to get a better look.

He raised his hand to them. "A recent development seems to have rendered me blind."

"Then how did you know it was me?"

"Your scent, the sound of your voice, your spirit – all these things made you known to me."

He backed up a bit. "You are frightening me, sir."

"I guess I must be, at that. I am sorry. I'm a bit frightened myself."

"Are you ill?"

"Not exactly, though it would be safe to say that I am not myself today."

His comments were so cryptic that for a moment, Quatre believed he might be insane. His state of undress did nothing to convince him otherwise. Still, he could not turn from him, from the owner of the eyes that he saw every night in his dreams.

"Why do you believe that I am this person you are seeking?"

The man sighed heavily. "I saw you yesterday and recognized you."

"But your eyes…"

"I told you, the blindness is a recent complication, _very _recent."

"Why did you not make yourself known to me yesterday?" he asked suspiciously.

"Believe me, I wanted to, but circumstances prevented it. Also, it seemed that you and the young man wished to be alone."

He felt his blood run cold. This man had seen him with Heero! He took a step back. Was he some enemy of Heero's, or someone who wanted to hurt his reputation, or his own?

"You saw us?"

He nodded. "Is he all right?"

"Yes." He had seen the accident, then. Quatre looked once again into his eyes. They were such a deep color. The deepest shade of emerald would not compare to his; there was a bright sheen in his eyes that seemed to make it almost glow. He was entranced with the constantly shifting brightness of the lush hues in his eyes. They were the most intense eyes he had ever seen. _Except for the shadow. _Something from his dream suddenly came back to him. He was swimming away from the boat and he saw the shadow in the water beneath him, the eyes fixed upon him.

"You! You were in the water with me yesterday," he accused.

The man suddenly looked very agitated. "Yes, I was," he admitted. "Did you see me?"

"Only your eyes," Quatre admitted.

He seemed to relax at that. "I followed you to make sure you made it safely to the land."

Quatre stared at his auburn hair, seeming to glow in the setting light, and a sickening feeling twisted his stomach. "Was there someone else with you?" he asked in hushed tones.

He nodded. "My younger brother, Duo."

"He saved Heero," Quatre said more to himself than to him.

"That is true," he affirmed.

He felt as though his world were crashing down around him. "Where is he now?"

"I don't know," he admitted. "I think he went off in search of Heero this morning."

Quatre felt himself sinking slowly to the sand. _Heero is going to bond with him! _He felt as though he couldn't breathe, and within moments a lone tear escaped his tight control.

Awkwardly, the other man dropped back down to the sand. At last the wave of crushing despair passed and he glanced at Trowa.

"You really care about him, don't you?" the taller man asked.

"It's… complicated," Quatre answered.

"Why is it complicated? Either you love him or not."

"It's just not that easy."

"Why?"

"He's my best friend and my prince," he answered, not sure why he wanted to suddenly pour his heart out to this stranger. _He doesn't feel like a stranger, though. There's something so familiar about him, like I've known him all my life. _Warning bells were going off in his head. He shouldn't be speaking with him, a strange man alone on the beach. He was gentle by nature, and violence was a thing he avoided most. And he definitely shouldn't be telling him anything about his relationship with Heero.

"But you love him?" he pressed, his deep voice wistful sounding.

He answered despite himself. "I don't know. I think I have feelings for him. I _do _have feelings for him, I just don't know if I love him."

"Then you don't," Trowa said confidently. "If you have to question whether you're in love, then you're not."

Quatre shuddered. "It would just be so easy to be in love with him. It would solve quite a lot of problems." He sighed, frustrated. "But it would create so many more. He's a prince and I am nothing."

"That is a lie!"

Startled, Quatre stared at him. "What do you mean?"

"You are not nothing, and anyone who said you are is _lying_."

"How – how do you know that?"

He smiled gently, and Quatre basked in the warm glow. "I told you, I have been searching for you for years."

Quatre looked at his earnest face, pale skin, and beautiful eyes and believed him. His heart began to pound. "Do you know where I come from? Who my real parents are?"

"Yes."

"Are they alive?" he asked, fighting to speak around the lump in his throat.

"Yes. And they will be very happy to find that you are too. They searched for you for years after you disappeared, until they finally resigned themselves to believing that you were dead."

"They thought I was killed in the storm?"

A look of puzzlement flitted across his face for only a moment. "They weren't sure what happened to you."

"And you. You say you kept searching for me?"

"Yes."

"You've traveled far?" Quatre asked in a small voice.

He laughed shortly, and the sound made Quatre's heart leap. "Farther than you know."

His words held the ring of truth. There was more than that, though. Something about him drew Quatre to him. As if sensing his thoughts, Trowa reached out his hand to him.

Quatre touched his hand with his own and Trowa clasped it in his, lowering them to rest on the sand. He stared at his own pale fingers wrapped in his. _We must have come from the same place_, he thought with growing excitement. "Are you my brother?"

"No, I'm not. We are not related."

"Good," he answered before he could stop himself. He felt a blush rising to his cheeks and was grateful that the other man couldn't see it.

Trowa was rubbing the back of his hand with his thumb, and his skin tingled where they touched. _Heero did the same thing to my hand two days ago and it felt good, exciting, but nothing like this… Something about him feels so right, even though I don't know him._

He was suddenly nervous; the silence around them felt like the air did when a storm approached from across the sea. He spoke just to calm himself. "You've been searching how long?"

"Thirteen years."

"How did you know it was me if you haven't seen me in so long?"

"How does the whale know when to swim to warmer waters for winter? How did the fish know when a predator is near? How do you know when love is real? You just know."

Trowa was close, so close that he could feel the warmth radiating from his body. Quatre felt himself flush again, and tiny chills raced up and down his spine. "You speak of love so intimately. Have you known it yourself?"

"I have," he whispered.

Disappointment flooded him. Trowa was in love with someone. He should not sit so close to him, or let him hold his hand, or think the thoughts he was thinking. "Who… who are you in love with?" he asked with an unconscious pout.

Trowa smiled, as if sensing his expression.

"You."

"Me!" he gasped.

Trowa's voice dropped down to the barest of whispers. "Have you ever known that something was going to happen just before it did, or acted without knowing quite why?"

Quatre remembered the boy he had saved from the runaway cart. He had known something was wrong a moment before he realized what it was. That was why he had been able to grab the child in time. _Nor is that the first time something like that happened to me. but I have never told anyone. _

"Yes."

"Then I am sure your instincts tell you what I'm going to do next."

Quatre held his breath as Trowa slid his hand up his arm and along his neck until he was cupping his chin. He bent forward and kissed him, Trowa's lips soft against his. He could taste the ocean on him as his kiss turned from the gentleness of lapping waves to the passion of a storm. He couldn't stop a moan from escaping and then Trowa's tongue was caressing his own; all thoughts escaped his mind. As his strong arms wrapped around him, he knew that he was drowning in his embrace.

The last ray of the setting sun was shining upon Trowa's face when they parted. Quatre touched his sunburned cheek wonderingly. "Who are you?" He looked at his handsome features in a new light, caressing the once-familiar contours with his fingers.

"I am Trowa. I am your betrothed."

"My what?" Quatre gasped.

Before he could answer, Quatre heard his father's flute, the notes drifting to him on the air, calling him home. He stood up quickly, confused and suddenly upset. "I have to go." He turned and headed away at a run before Trowa could gain his feet.

"Raberba!" he shouted after him, the anguish in his tone ripping at Quatre's heart. Just as he passed behind the hill he heard him cry out, "Quatre!"

He had no idea what had just happened, but he knew he had to get home. He needed time to think. When the cottage came into sight, he saw a few horses in front of it. He slowed to a walk, breathless. _Father must have visitors. _He smoothed his shirt and tried to calm his frantic breathing. He brushed the sweat from his face and entered the cabin.

Three men in fine garments stood talking with his parents. Both Quaterina and Rashid looked agitated. Rashid glanced over at him, and his face broke out in a smile of relief.

"Ah, here he is. My lord, may I introduce my son, Quatre. Quatre, this is Vanyel, marquis of Dermail, son of the duke of Dermail."

He bowed low, ducking his eyes. He gave a start when the other man picked up his hand and kissed the back of his fingers. An unpleasant tingle caused Quatre to hastily snatch his hand back.

The regal man took no notice, giving him a smile. "It is an honor to meet you at last, Quatre."

Quatre gazed first from him to Rashid. Both men were smiling. Quaterina, too, was smiling, though Quatre could tell that she had been crying.

Finally he turned back to Vanyel. "My lord, to what do we owe the honor of your visit?"

The other man's smile grew broader. "Well, I've actually come to speak to your father on a matter of great importance. As your father, it is his privilege to tell you."

"Tell me what?" he asked, turning toward Rashid. Tears were gleaming in his eyes too.

"You tell him, my lord."

"Rashid, given our new relationship, I believe it would be proper for you to address me as Vanyel."

"What relationship?" Quatre asked, wishing someone would tell him what was going on.

Vanyel smiled and took a step closer to him. He bent down and peered into his eyes. Quatre fought his first instinct to reel back. "My dear Quatre, I am your betrothed."

TBC

* * *

Author's Notes: 

Questions? Just ask me.

Okay, what I did was a bit too much. Quatre and Duo don't look exactly alike, but Heero has just suffered a major concussion (and probably more) and the sun was in his eyes so Duo's chestnut hair is a bit lighter in hue. And since Heero is (understandably) disoriented, he instinctively associates the first thing (or person) he sees with something (some_one_) familiar. In my own little world, youth aren't given much choice on their life partners; even royalty is given a smaller berth. They bond with whoever their parents approve of (usually the one who is the most fitting, according to their tastes). Hence Quatre's apparent lack of control in his life. If my explanations are too farfetched, I apologize profusely. I gotta go take meds or something. Someone decapitate me _now!_

I think I made Quatre sound a bit like Relena here. (shudders) Oh and for the 3x4 fans out there: I have a feeling that your thirst for vengeance (on me!) would increase drastically in the next chapters. I am SO sorry!

* * *

Replies to Reviews (Chapter 5): No fancy pastries, just loads of yummy cookies for all of you! 

**Chezaswulf** Wai, thanks for thinking that! Although I'm having a bit (okay, a LOT) of trouble with this fic nowadays. So sorry (bows frantically). 'Nyways, thanks for being the first reviewer of chapter 5! Um, have a cookie.

**Ultra Rodimus** Thanks. I'll try to update as soon as possible, kay? That is, after I work out some issues in the plot. Thanks for reviewing! Here's a cookie.

**GundamPilot03** Aww, you loved the chapter? How did you know Heero's alive? Nyahaha, it really is that obvious, ne? Thanks for approving of my Trowa and Duo! Although, the Sea Witch isn't yours to torture. Sorry. You hafta get in line. Wai! Thanks SO much for trying to draw merman Trowa! (drools) I'm bugging a friend to draw merman Duo with his flowy hair, but she's busy so I'm bugging other people! Nyahaha! When, err I mean _if _I succeed to bug someone enough to draw the mermen, I'm gonna give you a copy, k? Don't hold your breath though. Thanks for the review and here's a cookie for ya! (I should stop giving you sweets, you know. Hehehe.) (-.-")

**Crystal Ketchum Darklight** Nyahaha, I pity poor Trowa, but he's bound to experience a lot more sufferings. Gomen. It's all for the sake of love so… 'Nyways, hope you enjoy this cookie!

**Fairren** Nyahaha, and now I updated once again. That means you love me again, ne? (n.n) Thanks for the review! Here's a cookie!

**nutzzz** Nyahaha, I mailed you a few days ago and I hope I answered your questions. Just in case, I bought my manga in a store called COMIC QUEST. It can be found at the 4th floor of FESTIVAL MALL and somewhere in the ground floor of MEGAMALL. Hope you don't get broke! Hehe. Wait, you actually read my profile? Wow, what endurance you have. (snickers) Aww, thanks for thinking that about my fic and it's nice to know that another Pinoy _still _enjoys GW. Thanks for the review and here's a cookie.

**No one** (nice name!) Aww, don't be too sad! Here's another update, although I can't say that it ended in a happy note. In fact, I'm quite revulsed too. But it's all in the plot I've drawn so… let's just try to stomach it, k? I pity poor Trowa too. (bawls) 'Nyways, thanks for the review, here's a cookie!

**joyce** Nyahaha, yeah, I try to follow that mermaid story (Disney's) as close as possible, but with a lot more twists in the story. I guess this chappie answered a lot of your questions. Aww, I did take Trowa's eye_sight _but his beautiful emeralds are still as beautiful as ever. Oops, and since I took his sense of sight away, the only way to win Quatre's heart back is to look pretty and woo him through words, ne? (a few kisses wouldn't hurt either, hehe) That's the explanation for Trowa's sudden burst of talkativeness. (sweatdrops) I make the lamest excuses, ne? And yeah, the whole story pivots mostly around Quatre, so your wish is granted. Thanks for the review and here's a cookie for you to munch on.


	8. Part 7

Disclaimer: Blah, blah, fishsticks. Err, I mean, standard disclaimers apply.

Warning: MAJOR OOCness. FORGIVE THE AUTHOR.

I totally adore Gaara of Naruto. I love his eyeliner! Err, eyes! I meant eyes! I am now a fully converted SasuNaru fangirl. I'm currently obsessed with Naruto fics, doujinshis, and pics. That's one reason why this chapter took too long. Here's another: if anyone didn't manage to read my note/apology in the last chapter, please be informed that I had a 5-day seminar in the Mt. Province that's why I wasn't able to work on this fic. I just arrived yesterday morning and I needed painkillers 'coz before we went shopping (after the seminar and before going home), we went spelunking. I was forced to climb ropes twice and my limbs are killing me right now. The seminar was boring as hell and I never want to hear the words "duty" and "leadership" ever again. sorry for boring you. (n.n)

One of my goals in life has been met. Well, sort of. My friend Elana-chan bought the Hikaru no Go series and I'm gonna borrow the cds as soon as she's through with them. whee!

**Out of the Sea**

By _Ninetails_

_I want to go to your world_

_To the place most profound_

_And adore you forever and ever_

_If I live_

_If blood is left in my veins_

_I ask for nothing more_

_Than to end in your net_

_And die in your open arms_

_Mermaid_

part of the song "Sirena" by Enrique Iglesias. (I had nothing to do in our 14-hour bus ride so I translated my favorite Spanish song. Thank God for Spanish-English dictionaries. Conjugations are from my memory so I apologize if I took some liberties in the translations. And since decided to ban song lyrics in fics, I decided to not put the original lyrics here. Translations are by me so I wrote it and its mine.)

Chapter 7

Duo sat upon the sand and tried to scream. The pain was more than he could bear. His tail had been ripped in half and forced into the shape of two human legs. Bone and muscle and nerves had been twisted, torn, and re-formed into something new and totally strange to him. He screamed and screamed, but no sound came out. His voice had been sacrificed to the Sea Witch.

He fell onto his back and could feel the sand burrowing into the pores of his flesh. The sun beat down upon him, and pain seared through his very being. His skin felt as though it were drying out, his eyes burned, and his lungs heaved while trying to breathe the foreign air. Surely he must die; merkin could not survive outside of the sea, and it had been folly to believe that he could.

He would have rolled into the ocean but he didn't have the strength. _So, I am to die here. Away from my family, my people, my home. I was a fool. _

He managed to flip onto his side. More pain sliced through his body, and he fought to suppress the bile he could feel at the back of his throat. The gravity of what he had done shot through him. He had one week to find the man he loved and win his love. Ihe failed, he would die. If he succeeded, he would live, but in the state he now found himself. He smirked to himself. _Any pain is worth enduring if I could only see those beautiful eyes again._

He rolled over onto his stomach and began to cough, his long locks curtaining his features. Seawater poured out of his mouth and seeped into the sand. At long last his chest stopped heaving. Suddenly the hair on the back of his neck stood on end.

"Quatre? Are you alright?"

Duo turned his head and saw _him_. His heart started pounding in joy. "Sorry, I – I thought you were someone else." He opened his mouth to speak, to tell him how much he felt for him, but no sound came out. Frustrated, he shook his head, and the salty wind caressed his hair along his body.

He came closer to Duo. "Do you need help?"

Duo nodded fiercely and gave the beautiful man a wide grin. The other man looked at him with a strange glint in his eyes before hastily shrugging out of his outer garment. He handed it to Duo and averted his eyes.

Duo felt uncharacteristic heat rising in his cheeks as he took the garment from him, noting the numerous clothing he had on his body. He had watched the other man remove his arms from part of the garment and he tried to emulate that. At last he had it wrapped around himself.

The other man still stood, face turned away, and Duo had no voice to tell him he could turn back. With a silent chuckle, he picked up a handful of sand and threw it at his leg.

He whipped his head back around to look at his seated figure, and a small smile broke out on his handsome face. Duo had the sudden urge to swim around in frenzied spirals. The man then crouched down beside him, a hint of red on his cheeks. Duo thought he was too adorable. "That's better. So, where are you from?"

He twisted and pointed out to the ocean, marveling at how the pain in his limbs seemed to have lessened since he appeared.

The other man gave a slight frown. "From far away, then." He scanned the horizon. "You must have been shipwrecked. How long have you been here?"

Duo looked up at him, helpless to answer. _He is so beautiful! _His hair was a dark brown, like the murky depths of the ocean. His eyes were a deeper shade of blue, rivaling the sea's hue. He ached to touch his tanned face and to tell him he was everything to him. _Hear me, know my thoughts if not my words! _The other man stared back at him, and slowly his eyes widened. "You, you were the one who saved me?" he asked, emotion now lacing his dulcet voice.

Duo nodded eagerly, his eyes beginning to sting. _Did he hear me or is he just remembering? It doesn't really matter so long as he knows._

He then reached out a silk-covered arm and lightly touched Duo's long hair, the strands slipping through his fingers. He then gently tugged at it, drawing Duo's gaze from his hand to his eyes. "You were the one who pulled me from the sea?"

He nodded again, a rakish smile lightening his features.

"And you were the one who – "

Duo leaned forward and kissed him, gently tugging at his lower lip before smiling against his lips. When he pulled back there was a light dancing in his cobalt eyes.

"Yes, you were the one," he whispered.

* * *

The castle was enormous, and Duo felt small within its shadow.

At the beach the young man who introduced himself as Heero had left him briefly and returned with some simple garments more appropriate for him to wear. It had been a struggle to get into the trousers and to fasten the belt, but he managed to get them on. Walking had proven even more difficult, and Heero had finally picked him up and carried him.

The strange building would have unsettled him had it not been for Heero's arms around him. Their entrance seemed to generate a great deal of excitement. People were running around everywhere, some whispering, others shouting.

"This is my father's castle," Heero explained. "He is the king and I am the prince."

Duo smiled at him encouragingly. _Like my brother and I. At least that would please my parents, _he thought, laughing.

"It's not every day they see me walk in carrying a good-looking man." Heero blushed at his words, and Duo wondered whether to laugh at his shocked expression, or coo at his adorably confused look.

An older man approached them. "Highness, may I be of assistance?"

"Yes, Wufei. This is the young man who saved my life. He's the survivor of a shipwreck. Can you see that he is taken care of?"

Wufei glanced at Duo, taking in his disheveled appearance. He looked like a kind but austere man, and Duo smiled at him, noting the widening of ebony eyes and the slight blush coloring slightly tanned cheeks. The ghost of a smile touched Wufei's lips in return. "I'll see to it that he is presentable by dinnertime."

"Sooner, if you can. He and I have a lot to discuss. He seems to have sprained his ankles and he's lost his voice."

"Then you'll be doing all the talking and he'll be doing all the listening. That sounds familiar," Wufei remarked dryly.

Heero's lips quirked. "I listen to you."

Wufei snapped his fingers, and a petite woman with a merry face scurried forward. "Hilde, help me get the young lad to his room."

Heero gently set Duo down on his feet. Duo began to sway, but Wufei and Hilde caught him. They urged him to drape his arms around their shoulders and walk between them. He did as he was bid, gritting his teeth and inwardly cursing his weakness.

Each step was less painful than the one before it, and by the time they reached the end of the room, he wasn't wobbling half so much. Once they got him upstairs and into a room, they lowered him down onto a piece of furniture that seemed made for sitting upon.

He sighed in relief and gave them a wide grin, then winced as he rubbed his feet.

"My lord, I will be leaving you in Hilde's care. She can see to anything you require," Wufei said with imperceptible worry in his tone.

Duo nodded that he understood. Wufei bowed deeply and left the room.

Hilde gazed cheerfully at him. "Well, my lord, let's get you cleaned up shall we?"

Before he knew what was happening, he had been dumped into a large tub of hot water. He laughed silently. _Looks like I'm back in the water again! _The water was different from what he was used to, though. It felt different on his skin and it smelled and tasted different as well.

He could tell that Hilde was laughing at his antics, but he didn't care, it just made him laugh harder. By the time he made it out of the bathtub, he was exhausted.

Next, Hilde tried to dress him in a strange garment made to encase his legs tightly and fabric that was designed to cover his upper body. They both had giggles by the time it was done. She then set out to comb his slightly unruly hair and twisted it into what she called a "braid." Duo marveled at the beautiful state his beloved hair was now in. At last Hilde stood back. "Well, you're looking like a lord now, and a handsome one at that," she asserted, blushing lightly.

Duo gave a cheeky grin at the compliment.

"Now, let's not keep the prince waiting any longer," Hilde gushed. She led Duo from the room and downstairs to the main floor. Off the great hall was a chamber with a roaring fire and several chairs and couches.

His heart skipped a beat as he recognized Heero pacing before the fire. Heero turned to see him, and a gentle smile wreathed his face. He strode forward and gave him a slight tilt of his head. He faced him then and gave him an appraising look. "You look handsome." He blushed once again, quite unused to giving too many compliments in too short a time. He then turned to Hilde, "Thank you, Ms. Hilde. I appreciate your efforts."

It was Hilde's turn to blush as she curtsied deeply. She excused herself and hurried out, leaving them alone.

Heero led him to a seat and he accepted it gratefully. His legs seemed to be getting stronger by the minute, but they were still sore and a little weak.

"I want to know everything about you," Heero told him, sitting beside him on the couch. "Is your voice any better?"

Duo tried to speak even though he knew he would not be able to. No sound came out, and he shook his head.

"It's no matter. I've had an idea," he told him. Duo nodded vigorously, violet eyes alight with excitement. Heero felt himself smile. The other man's enthusiasm was contagious.

"I have a parchment, a quill, and some ink. You can draw the answers."

He showed Duo a large, flat piece of paper. He then pulled an ornately carved wooden table over in front of him and placed the parchment on top of it. He also put down a bottle of dark liquid that made Duo think of the ink an octopus would spit at an enemy. Mer-kin had learned to use that ink to make markings upon rocks and shells. Lastly Heero handed him a slender instrument topped with a feather. He stared at it, puzzled.

With a small grin, Heero took it back from him. "Let me show you. You dip the pen in the ink, and draw upon the parchment. Here."

Duo watched as he demonstrated. At last he grasped the pen and gave it a try, delighted as dark lines sprang to life on the parchment. The markings looked clearer and they required less effort than the manner of writing they had at home. He tried forming the symbols for his name, drawing the fishes he had as pets, and even tried to draw Heero's face. It turned out like a deflated blowfish though and he rocked in mirth.

"Good," Heero encouraged him, having no idea of what symbols he was drawing. "Now, where do you come from?"

Duo thought for a moment and then drew the waves on top of the ocean. Heero studied it for a while with a puzzled frown.

"… Is it that your people are seafaring, like the Atha'n Miere?"

Duo wanted to tell him that he came from under the ocean, that he dwelt among the fish and other sea creatures. He bit his lip, debating whether to try to tell him. He looked into his cobalt eyes and believed in his heart that he would accept what he had to say.

_Still, it would be better to wait_, a voice told him. Better to let him truly know him before he burdened him with that story. He sighed.

"I have a friend who looks a lot like you," Heero commented as he tugged his braided hair. "He was found at sea when he was a child. His name is Quatre. I wonder of your people are his?"

Duo smiled shakily and shrugged his shoulders. He would have to tell him about Raberba eventually, but was less sure how to go about that than he was about how to tell him about his own ancestry.

"What is your name?" Heero asked, breaking into his thoughts.

Duo was at a loss as to what to draw and just looked at him with a shrug and a small grin. Heero seemed to sense his turmoil and hurried to ask, "What does it sound like?"

Duo scrunched his face in thought. He tried to recall what his tutor had taught him about human ways. _Something that sounds like my name… _Heero observed him with an amused glint in his eyes, appreciating the unconscious charm the other man was exhibiting.

Duo's face suddenly lit up. He gave Heero a wide smile before holding up two hands.

"Two?" he asked, looking startled. "It sounds like 'two'?"

Duo nodded, then encouraging him to try to guess more.

"It sounds like two. Hmm…."

Duo then held up each forefinger and slowly brought them together, then apart once again.

"Could it be…"

Duo gave him a hopeful look and Heero tried not to stare too much at the adorable sight. "It sounds like two, and from what you just did, it's also something that is related to two. A pair maybe?"

Duo nodded vigorously. _So close…_

"Could it be… Duo?"

Duo clapped his hands together and gave him a wide grin.

"Duo," he said again, giving him a warm smile. "Well, that was simple. I am Heero, prince of Arad Doman."

Duo laughed silently. His mother would be so pleased to know that he had fallen in love with a prince. In his world, his family was also royalty. That was why Trowa and Raberba had been betrothed since birth. Gender was not an issue for the Mer-folk and since Raberba's family had been one of A'l Thor's greatest allies, a member of the royal family being bonded to their only child was a perfect match.

His smile faded as he thought of home and his family. He looked down at what Hilde called "pants" that was wrapped around his legs. _Human legs. _Sorrow weighed heavily upon him. Would he ever see his brother and parents again? He had left behind so much, was it worth it?

Heero put a hand under his chin and lifted his eyes to meet his own. As Duo stared into their depths, he knew that it was.

"Do you miss your home?" he asked in a whisper that sent chills up Duo's spine.

Duo smiled, wondering if his thoughts had been that transparent. He nodded slightly.

"Can I help you get back there?" Heero asked, his normally blank face twisted into anxiety.

Duo shook his head and a smile crept over Heero's face.

"Then I'm just going to have to make sure you're happy here," he said with a slight grin.

Heero slid his hand from under his chin to touch his cheek and slowly bent toward him. Duo's breath caught in his throat, and his heart started to flutter excitedly in his chest.

When Heero's lips met his, they were soft and warm and held a promise that he scarcely dared believe. His teeth nipped at his lower lip, asking for entrance. Duo complied, suddenly swept into a fiery passion with Heero's tongue blazing a path in his mouth. He lost himself in his kiss and knew that he could never again be found.

At last Heero pulled away from him, but the spell still hovered in the air around them, binding them together. "I think I love you," Heero breathed against his lips.

Duo let his eyes speak for him.

They sat for a long moment just staring at each other.

"So, this must be the young man you swept off his feet," an amused voice said behind them.

Startled, Duo turned around to see a tall handsome man with auburn hair and piercing blue eyes grinning bemusedly at them.

"Father," Heero said with a hint of iciness in hi tone. "Duo, this is my father, King Treize of Arad Doman. Father, allow me to present Duo. He is the one who saved me from drowning yesterday."

"And I am grateful to you for that," the king told him.

Duo bounded to his feet and bowed deeply as he had seen Wufei do to Heero.

The king reached out and caught his hand. He bowed over it. "Thank you, young lad, for saving me from heartbreak."

Duo gave him a rakish grin, widening as he saw the playful glint in his teal eyes. He heard a growling sound and glanced at a slightly fuming Heero. He gave him a look then turned back to the king who released his hand and stepped back. "I look forward to seeing you at dinner tonight." He nodded to his son, and with a last playful grin aimed at Duo, he turned and left.

"Well, I think he likes you," Heero said in a monotone voice.

Duo was relieved. He hadn't counted on meeting Heero's family so soon, at least not until he had more of a chance to acclimate to his new environment.

"We should get dressed for dinner," Heero told him.

Surprised, he glanced down at the clothes he was wearing.

Heero shook his head and gave him a light smile. "It's a dashing attire, but not quite appropriate for this evening. It's to be a very formal dinner. Not only is the duke dining at the castle, but his son, the marquis, has brought the one he would be bonded to. I hear he's good-looking, but I'm sure he couldn't compare to you."

As they rose to their feet, Duo's heart was singing. He would do his best to look well for Heero tonight and to outshine the other people present.

"Do you need me to escort you back to your room?"

He shook his head. If he was ever going to familiarize himself with the castle, he might as well start now.

He took his leave of Heero and made his way carefully to his room. His legs were much steadier. The only difficulty proved in negotiating the stairs. Still, he kept his hand against the wall to steady himself and moved slowly upward, placing each foot carefully. He sighed in relief when he reached his room.

Amazingly, Hilde was waiting for him with another outfit. It consisted of black trousers held by a wide belt, a white undershirt, and a magnificent purple coat trimmed with silver that brought out his eyes. Hilde beamed at his expression.

"I figured you'd be wanting to dress for dinner about now. Looks like I was right."

Duo embraced her.

Startled, Hilde gasped and she was sputtering when Duo released her. "Milord," she stammered, "it's not appropriate for you to be doing that."

Duo looked at her directly in the eyes.

"You don't care about that, do you?"

Duo shook his head fondly.

Hilde blushed fiercely, but she looked pleased. "Let's get you changed, shall we?"

After what seemed like an eternity, Hilde had finished. She then led him over to a large cross on the wall. In the middle of the cross a piece of polished glass was set and Duo could see himself in it.

The deep purple of his shirt made a stunning contrast against his pale skin. He was still a bit flushed from earlier so spots of red colored his cheeks and lips, also emphasizing the paleness of the rest of his skin. His hair shone brightly and had been braided down his back, interwoven with thin ropes of gold and silver thread.

"You look like a prince," Hilde said, sighing happily.

_I am, _Duo thought.

He ran his hand down the material of his shirt, liking the way it felt cool and smooth beneath his fingers. The silver design glinted brilliantly in the candlelight with a sparkle that matched the one in his eyes. He looked breathtaking and he hoped Heero thought so as well.

At last he was ready. He made his way carefully down the stairs, eager to see Heero. He wasn't used to the "boots" Hilde insisted on him wearing though. He entered the main hall and saw dozens of people seated around a long table. He saw Heero instantly. He was looking at someone at the table when a servant whispered something to him. Turning his head, he saw Duo. He immediately got up from his seat and came to him.

"You look beautiful," he told Duo when he was standing before him.

A warm glow suffused Duo as Heero bowed from the waist and led him to the table. The king welcomed him warmly, and Heero helped him to his seat. Servants with food appeared from out of nowhere, and soon the feasting had begun.

The variety of food was amazing to him. At home they ate a variety of plant life as well as some of the larger predators of the sea when they happened into mer-kin waters.

Duo took his first bite of something someone called "chicken." It was delicious and had a texture unlike anything he had ever eaten. _It tastes like nothing I've ever known. _He was about to take another bite when the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.

Slowly he lifted his eyes and found another staring at him. With a shock he realized that it was Raberba. The other boy was only a few seats away. His pale skin stood out in dark contrast to his black velvet shirt. He felt pleased that his blonde hair was pulled into a loose braid, small wisps of gold framing his face; Duo had a vague memory of them having a pact never to cut their hair when they were little. Around his neck he wore a large pearl, dark and shimmering. _I've seen a pearl like that somewhere, _Duo thought. _Where…?_

"How do you like it?" Heero asked him in a whisper.

Duo turned his attention from Raberba back to Heero. He grinned broadly and patted his stomach to show his pleasure.

"Good," Heero said, chuckling. Duo marveled at the sound. Heero then began to heap his plate with all varieties of exotic foods, bidding him to try this first, then that.

When he got a chance to look back at Raberba, the other was deep in conversation with the dark-haired man next to him. _How strange that he should be here! _It made sense, though, since Raberba had been with the prince in the boat before it had sunk.

He would have to find a way to see him later, alone. Did he know who he was, or had he forgotten his childhood days as a merman? Maybe he, too, had visited the Sea Witch in order to ensnare the man seated beside him. That made no sense, though. Raberba had disappeared when he was four. Duo himself had only vague memories of the other merman. He wouldn't even have recognized him if it weren't for Trowa having identified him yesterday. In fact, one of the only real things he remembered about Raberba was seeing him just before he disappeared. The events of that day had been seared into his mind.

"It amazes me, milord, that both you and my son's betrothed bear a striking resemblance to each other," an older gentleman remarked.

Startled, Duo glanced at him.

"Yes, indeed it is," Heero answered cordially. "Vanyel and I are truly fortunate to have such good-looking people with us."

Duo turned to Heero, but his eyes were fixed on Raberba. He turned to look at Raberba and noticed that the other boy was staring at Heero, looking flustered and upset.

"A toast," the king called, interrupting the silent exchange. "To Quatre and Duo for gracing us tonight with their presence and reminding us what life is all about."

"Quatre and Duo." All the others at the table lifted their glasses toward the two men and then drank. Duo imitated the gesture and he and Raberba – _they must call him Quatre _– toasted each other.

For a long minute the two stared at each other. _Does he know me? _Duo wondered. _Does he even know himself? _The man beside Raberba said something and he turned to him.

Duo turned his attention back to Heero, who was now extolling the virtues of something called "peacock." He spent the rest of dinner listening to him comment on things and trying to communicate in turn. By the time dinner had ended, he was exhausted.

Heero walked him back to his room at the end of dinner and gave him another passionate kiss before taking his leave. He felt his smile widen as he entered his room. Despite his weakness, Heero could still make his blood boil. After the euphoria he always felt around Heero, he felt his eyelids grow heavier.

Hilde was there waiting for him and helped him change into clothes appropriate to sleep in. She helped him unravel his braid and brushed it till it shone with a light gleam, cascading down his back. Duo then crawled into the bed, and Hilde covered him over with fluffy blankets before blowing out the candle next to the bed and exiting the room with her own candle in hand. No sooner had Hilde's candle disappeared than Duo was asleep.

* * *

Duo sat bolt upright, screaming a silent scream into the darkness. There was something desperately wrong with Trowa, he could feel it more strongly than he had ever felt anything. He threw back his covers and hurried out of bed. The stone floor was cold against his feet, and he shivered.

He left his room and padded down the hallway. He wasn't sure where he was going, but the overwhelming need to go somewhere consumed him. Because it was late and everyone should be asleep, he walked as quietly as he could so he wouldn't disturb anyone.

As he moved down another corridor he heard muffled voices, proof that someone other than he was awake. He kept walking.

" – kill the king."

He stopped in his tracks, his heart beginning to pound. Had he heard correctly?

A second voice, older than the first, said, "Everything is in place, but we must tread carefully. I believe Heero is suspicious."

The younger man chuckled. "Heero is too taken with the boy to think about anything else. Lucky for us he just came along."

"Yes, lucky," the older man answered, sounding thoughtful. "We'd best rest now. We have much to do in the morning."

The sound of heavy boots on the floor sent Duo scurrying back down the corridor and around a corner. The owner of the boots must have gone down the corridor in the opposite direction, for the sound began to recede.

Duo peeked around the corner and saw a man's retreating back. He waited a moment before beginning to follow him. He held his breath as he dashed past the door to the room where he had been talking with the other man.

After a couple more turns in the corridor, the man paused on top of a narrow, twisting flight of stairs. He glanced toward it as though debating whether he wanted to go down it. The shook his head and walked on.

The hairs on the back of Duo's neck lifted, and once the man was out of sight he hurried down the stairs. They swirled deeper into the darkness, lit only by the torches placed at intervals. At last they opened into a long, narrow hall lined on both sides by cages.

He shuddered. He had seen cages before, lying at the bottom of the ocean among wreckages of ships. He had once seen a whole group of lobsters in one, their lifeless bodies a grim testament to the methods of man.

He slowly walked down the hall. The cages on either side of him were empty. At the far end, though, he thought he caught a glimmer of movement, a flash of something white.

He reached the last cage and saw a man standing inside. He turned his head slowly toward him. _Trowa! _He lunged forward, reaching through the bars to touch him. _What is he doing here? _he wondered, taking in his human form.

"Duo?" he asked.

He opened his mouth to tell his brother it was he, but no sound would come out. He nodded fiercely instead.

"Duo, is that really you? These hands feel like yours," he said, carefully feeling them with his fingertips.

Confused, Duo stared at him. _How can he not recognize me?_

"The Witch took my sight. I can't see you. Speak to me, please," he begged.

Duo ached at his brother's imploring tone. His skin was pale, almost glowing in the darkness around him. It made the bruises around his left eye stand out all the more, dark and ugly.

He felt himself start shaking in frustration. Trowa should have known that the Witch's magic would come with a price for him as well. Duo lifted one of his hands and placed a finger across his brother's lips.

"Do we need to be quiet?" he whispered.

Duo took both his hands and placed one on either side of Trowa's head. Gently, he shook his brother's head back and forth. Then he took his hand and guided it through the bars. His brother's hand was also bruised and there was blood beneath his fingernails. He took his brother's index finger and placed it against his own shoulder and then lifted it and laid it across his lips.

Understanding lit his face. "You can't speak?"

With his finger still across his own lips, Duo nodded his head.

"The Witch took your voice and my eyes?"

Again, Duo nodded.

"I understand."

Duo moved his brother's hand from his lips and held it between his. He moved both their hands to one of the bars, wrapped both their hands around it, and shook it hard.

"I haven't been able to find a way out," Trowa told him.

"I'm not even sure where I am or why I'm here. I was talking with Raberba on the beach. They call him Quatre here. He had to leave, and just a few moments later some men grabbed me. I don't know how many there were, or what they wanted. They just told me I was under arrest for crimes I had committed 'against His Majesty's subjects.' They hit me in the head, and the next thing I knew, I woke up here."

Duo's eyes began to fill with water and it startled him. He vainly suppressed the urge to seek vengeance for his brother's maltreatment. He knelt down slowly and touched Trowa's legs.

"I did it for you and Raberba. I had to see him, to try to bring him home. More importantly, though, I had to make sure you were safe."

More water started to form under his eyes and he tried to blink it away as he stood back up. He grasped both his brother's hands and methodically lifted seven of his fingers into the air. He left them alone for a moment, and then firmly pushed one of the seven down.

"Yes," Trowa answered softly. "I had seven days as well. Now, it seems, only six remain."

Duo drew his finger across his brother's throat.

"And then we die."

They stood for a moment, the silence stretching between them. At last, Trowa spoke. "Have you found the human you came here to be with?"

Duo grasped his head gently and nodded it.

"Does he care for you?"

He nodded his brother's head again.

Trowa breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good. Now, if only I could find Quatre."

Duo pulled his brother's hand to touch his shoulder again and then moved his fingers to gently touch his eyes.

"You've seen him?"

Duo nodded.

"Where is he?"

Duo took his hands, spread them slightly, and then waved them toward the ground.

"You mean he's here?" Trowa asked, a hint of excitement in his deep voice.

Duo moved his brother's hands back to his head and nodded.

"Please bring him to see me."

Duo wanted to tell him that he would try, that he would do his best, but he was at a loss as to how to express it. So, he grasped his brother's hands and squeezed them, praying that he would understand.

"You should go now," Trowa told him. "I don't think it would be good for them to find you here."

He was right, although Duo wished he wasn't. He gave his brother's hands a final squeeze before dropping them and moving away reluctantly. He couldn't bear to see him caged, and his heart ached for him. The best thing he could do for him, though, was find a way to communicate with Quatre.

He turned and left, moving stealthily back up the stairs, stopping every so often to listen for the sounds of anyone approaching. There was nothing, though. When he reached the top of the stairs he felt a little more at ease, but he still raced through the corridors until he made his way back to his own room.

Once inside he collapsed on his bed in relief. His hours of life were slipping away; he could feel them going one by one, leading him closer to death. Now he held Trowa's fate in his hands as well, and his brother's life was slipping through his fingers. He had to find a way to communicate with Quatre. If Quatre and Heero did not agree to bond with them, then he and Trowa were dead.

He fell asleep and dreamed of the lobster cages by the wreckage of the boat. Only instead of the decaying bodies of lobsters, it contained the bodies of himself and Trowa.

TBC

* * *

Author's Notes:

Some of you may realize that I used a few terms here from the Wheel of Time novels. This serves as a disclaimer. Whee.

Is it just me or does Duo do nothing but smile here?

I hope I didn't make it too cruel for Trowa. I should be punished! Waaah! Poor Trowa!

Oh,and I know that Quatre and Duo look exactly alike. Just go with me on this one, 'kay? Please?

* * *

Replies to Reviews (Part 6): Chocolate chip cookes for everyone!

**Yume no Anime** … I really DO have to worry about vengeful fans now, ne? I took too darned long with this chapter. GOMEN NASAI! I pity Trowa in this chapter, and I have more cruel things scheduled for him, so ready yourself for that. Rest assured that it's essential for the plot (I have a demented mind) and Trowa and Quatre would live Happily Ever After in the end. I hope. Hai, everyone _should _love Quatre! Everyone should bow down and worship the ground Quatre hasn't even walked on yet! Wai! Oh, Quatre's POV is next chapter so we'll see 'bout that. (prepares weapons for herself to use along with the guys) Thanks for the review! (huggles)

**Hikaru** Um, Heero actually believed Duo. Wow. OOC, ne? I'm so sorry; if I detailed more on their feelings for each other, or if I made Heero as cold as he really is, well, that's a lot more work for me (dodges various pointy things thrown at her). Wow, you're good! You actually guessed what Duo lost! Bravo! (shakes hands vigorously) Um, I hope I satisfy you even a little bit with the 1x2 here. (hides under convenient… study table) Ehehehe, thanks for the review! (huggles)

**GundamPilot03** Ehehehe, I would really like to write an angsty fic, but all I ever come up with are waff. (bawls) Vanyel is a creep? Why? He's not! He's just… conniving, cruel, nasty, and a bit suspicious, but he's not a creep! (watch me drown in a puddle of sarcasm) Nyahaha, everyone hates Vanyel , ne? stupid bastard. Oh well, here's the 1x2 chapter I kept on hinting at. Hope it was better than I thought it to be (since my opinion if it is… not nice) Hai, poor Quatre, no choice but to follow as he is bid. He'll grow a backbone soon enough, don't worry. Ne, ne, hope you don't get diabetes from all the sweets I keep on giving you (contemplates whether to give GP03 a carrot to munch on). Whee! You started the merman Trowa pic! I'll worship you 'till you grow tired of me and dump me in a convenient sewer! Wai! Bad thing is, my friend kinda lost her inspiration to draw merman Duo since she's too hung up with her boyfriend (gags). Don't worry, Vanyel is going to get what he deserves in a most unexpected way (meaning I haven't thought of it yet…) Thanks for the review! (huggles)

**No one** Ehehehe, yup, I don't like sweets too. Would a plushie of your favorite Gundam Wing pilot suffice? 'Nyways, I hope this story still has your attention since I'm having trouble with the fic (meaning I'm running out of ideas). I've horribly mangled the pilots' personalities in this story that I'm afraid of getting mobbed by a rabid group of fangirls. (pictures the inevitable and shudders) Thanks for the review! (huggles)

**Ultra Rodimus** Nyahaha, hope you enjoy the cookie… again. Poor Trowa indeed! Quatre would someday realize who he is, when I work out how it would be, that is. I don't have a mild case of writer's block. I have a gaping, gargantuan case of that darned disease. The lack of brain cells doesn't seem to help either. Oh, your questions are gonna be answered soon enough. Hopefully. Hehe. Thanks for the review! (huggles)

**Fairren** Waaaah! I hope you still wuvs me after not updating for so long! Nyahaha, poor Quatre. We'll tune back to his POV next chapter so there's more "Quatre angst" for you! Hope you enjoyed this chapter and thanks for the review! (huggles)

**Amy Hirosaki** Wow, you're from the Netherland? Cool! Thanks SO much for thinking this fic is cool! (and don't worry, English isn't my first language too) Hehe, so many compliments, it humbles me. I'm really sorry for taking too long in updating, but it couldn't be helped. Duty beckons (actually, it drew me away from my precious PC with me screeching and clawing at any stable object all the way). Thanks for the review! (huggles)

**Arayelle Lynn** Waaah! Love triangle! Waaah! I have a sneaking suspicion that you now have an idea who the "best man" for Quatre is. Nyaha, oh, and Heero found his love. Too quickly even for my tastes, but that's the way the story wrote itself (passes the blame). Hehe, thanks for the review! (huggles)

**armygundamgirl** Wow, you have a very interesting occupation. Yeah, I'm a wicked person to jeopardize the love of Trowa and Quatre, and I have this feeling that you're gonna hate me for doing what I did to Trowa in this chapter. (cowers in fear under… chair) It's all for the good of the plot though, so I apologize in advance for what I'm about to do in the succeeding chapters. I'll get Trowa and Quatre together, somehow. I hope. Thanks for the review! (huggles)

**Lost-Remembrance** Wai! You really think it's good? Wow. Thanks! I apologize for taking too long in updating, and I hope my reason is valid enough for you. Thanks for the review! (huggles)

**Shadow fat** … (gets overwhelmed with Shadow fat's enthusiasm) Ehehehe, thanks! Though I have this feeling that you're gonna change your mind upon reading this chapter. The GW boys as mermaids (or mermen, let's just use that to avoid confusion, ne?) is a cool concept, and I've been thinking about it since last year. Hai, I knew about how mermaids and mermen looked like. I think I mentioned something about it in the prologue. Oh, don't worry, I don't like how Hans Christian Andersen's tale ended too, it was too, well, unfulfilling. It is my favorite fairy tale though. Thanks for the review! (huggles)

**Nerb** Their "reunion" was quick and frustrating, I know. Gomen! Duo found Heero awful quick too, nyahaha! Wait… Ursula? … (snickers uncontrollably) 'Tis ok, at least you appreciate the story. It's enough for me. Aw, sorry for taking too long with this fic! I mentioned somewhere that I'd update at least once a week and I broke that last week! Waaah! I'm never going to another seminar again! (especially in tiring, boring ones) Eek, cure yourself of your Relena fetish! (snickers) Ehehe, I know how you feel! I once brought a 1x2 pic in school where the two are in a very compromising position (they were kissing!) underwater. The girls thought it was cute, my friends (a.k.a. yaoi fangirls) went rabid, and the guys, well, they had no comments. Um, I didn't help, did I? Sorry! Good luck with the scanning of that pic! (starts drooling at the mere thought of Wufei in a – French – maid's uniform) Thanks for the review! (huggles)

**Niaka1** Nyahaha! There should be an antagonist in every story so Duke Dermail rears his ugly head in this fic. Hmm…now how could Trowa help Quatre escape from the evil clutches of Lord Vanyel? … (tries to vainly wrack brain, but no ideas come forth… yet) Hehe, guess you have to wait a bit more, ne? I'm really sorry for taking too long with this chapter! I just finished writing it this morning and I hope there aren't too many mistakes. 'Nyways, thanks for the review! (huggles)

**joyce** It gets more and more exciting , you say? Hehe, I'm glad that your suspicions aren't fulfilled. It means that what I write are unexpected. I have a weird mind. Wai! Trowa is god! (drools) Err, I mean, yeah, Trowa is one smooth hunk! I'm almost too envious of Quatre. Oh well. I hope your heart's in one piece now for another clawing next chapter! (snickers) Wait, I actually wrote angst! Whee! (dies of happiness) Oh, questions would be answered in subsequent chapters (meaning I won't give spoilers anymore). Thanks for the review! (huggles)

**Shin-chan** Waaaah! Gomen nasai! Hontou ni gomen nasai! I'm so sorry for doing that to Trowa and Duo! .. Wait… I blame it all on the Sea Witch! It's her fault! hers alone! Really. Watch me practice my innocent eyes. Iyaaaa! I could never do something harsh with Duo's hair! (although I have to admit that it was an option) What he lost was more fitting, ne? Yeah, I wonder how Heero recognized him… maybe from his amazing kiss? (starts to nosebleed) Gah, I'm SO sorry for taking too darned long with this. I'm now going to start writing chapter 8 (once I finish eating breakfast, that is) and I'm getting it out as soon as I could manage. Thanks for the review! (huggles)

**Pandora-chan** Hai, poor strangely-talkative Trowa indeed! I was a bit anxious about that part since it was making him too OOC even for me, but I figured that since that's the only way he could win Quatre's heart, ah what the heck, then he could be as talkative as he could. Did that make sense? Gah. Oh, I hate people who do not update for SO long too! I have a favorite fic that hasn't been updated since 2003! Waaah! I think the author of that fic is dead. Or comatose. Don't worry though 'cause I don't do that. Since it's my summer break, I have loads of time to write fics (provided that I'm in the right state of mind and I have no seminars to attend to, that is). Hehe, your questions are answered in this fic. And I couldn't possibly even touch Duo's braid! Heero might "Omae wo korosu!" me. Um, that didn't make sense. Okay, before I bore you to tears, let me say thanks for the review! (huggles)

And now if you would excuse me, my neopet is dying.


	9. Part 8

Disclaimer: Blah, blah, fishsticks. Err, I mean, standard disclaimers apply.

A very belated Happy Mother's Day to mothers, soon-to-be mothers, and wannabe-mothers out there!

Warning: MAJOR OOCness. FORGIVE THE AUTHOR. Oh, and don't be confused, there are some flashbacks here and the story is now told in Quatre's POV. I have a feeling that you'll hate Vanyel more in this chapter. Don't you just _love_, err, I mean, hate OCs? () Oh, and I am a people. I makes mistake. Sorry for typos. (yeah, they're ONLY typos. Really.)

Oh, and I finally persuaded my friend to draw me a merman Duo. It's a bit too feminine and it doesn't really look like him but it's still pretty. Whee! If anyone wants to see it, just tell me and leave an e-mail add.

One of my goals in life has been met. Well, sort of. My friend Elana-chan bought the Hikaru no Go series and I'm gonna borrow the cds as soon as she's through with them. Whee!

**Out of the Sea**

By _Ninetails_

Chapter 8

_At last he was standing before Master Padan. Vanyel reached out and took his hand. The touch of his skin sent cold chills through him. Quatre stared into his eyes, searching them for a spark of warmth, but there was nothing except the glittering silver ice. This then was his fate, his destiny._

* * *

"My betrothed?" Quatre asked, a kaleidoscope of emotions rushing through him. 

"Yes, lad. The Marq – Vanyel, came by to ask for you to be bonded."

"And you said yes?"

"Of course we did," Quaterina spoke up. She moved to Quatre and wrapped her arms around him.

"Why me?" he asked. Of all the questions burning in his mind, that one stood out.

Vanyel smiled, and Quatre managed to suppress a slight wince. "A long time I have watched you from afar, admiring you. You are so beautiful and kind. I know my cousin, Heero, thinks the world of you."

"He didn't want me to have to be bonded with the blacksmith's daughter," Quatre said, realization dawning.

Vanyel shook his head. "No, he did not. I am in need of a partner in life, and I am not wrong in assuming that you do so as well. I hope you don't think me too fanciful, but I love you. It was Heero who gave me the courage to come forward and tell you, and ask for your consent."

"He said he would try to help me."

Vanyel touched his cheek gently, and Quatre tried not to flinch. "Nay, it is me he has helped, though I hope that this will make you happy as well. I promise to be a good consort to you and to do everything in my power to make you love me as I love you."

Quaterina put her hand on Quatre's shoulder. "It's the miracle I've been praying for," she whispered, for Quatre's ears alone. He saw the light glint in her eyes, and did not wish for it to be extinguished.

Quatre had no words.

"Well, we'd best be off before the hour grows any later," Vanyel said, beckoning for Quatre to follow him.

Quaterina picked up a basket and handed it to Quatre. "Here are some of your things. We'll bring anything else you need the day after tomorrow."

"But… what?" Quatre asked, looking from Quaterina to Rashid.

"The prince thought it would be a good idea if my betrothed came to the castle now," Vanyel explained, "to start the ceremony preparations. Your parents will follow in a couple of days so that they could be with you."

Quaterina smoothed a stray lock of his braided hair back from his face. "Just imagine, dear: A week from today you will finally be bonded."

The words chilled him to the bone. One look at Quaterina's earnest face, though, and he didn't know what to say to her. He was spared from having to answer by a voice at the door.

"Milord," a guard addressed Vanyel.

"What is it?"

"We have captured the murderer!"

"Excellent," Vanyel replied as Quaterina breathed an audible sigh of relief. "Where did you find him?"

"On the beach not ten minutes from here. He was half dressed and blind."

"Blind, but how can that be?" asked Quaterina.

"In the struggle with the last lad, he was able to throw fabric dye in his eyes. It has apparently hurt his vision."

"Murderer?" Quatre asked, feeling the first traces of panic entering him. "What is all this about?"

Rashid nodded. "There's a man, not right in the head, been attacking young men, and women recently, up and down the coast. He killed the last one two villages over. Apparently he's looking for someone named Raberba. He meets fair-skinned lads and then tells them he knew them from birth."

"Oh…" he breathed, sinking to a seat at the table.

"Yes, such a terrible thing," Quaterina answered.

"There's no need to worry, Quatre. He'll be dealt with swiftly. I assure you that you and your family are quite safe," Robert vowed.

Quatre forced a shaky laugh. "He sounds like a monster."

"He would have to be to do the things he's been doing. But we needn't worry about him, not when we have so many more pleasant things to think about." Vanyel turned to Rashid and Quaterina. "And now I'm afraid we really must take our leave."

"We will see you in two days," Rashid confirmed.

Quatre leadenly rose to his feet, taking the basket Quaterina had packed for him. Outside, Vanyel patted the neck of a beautiful white mare. "Have you ridden before?"

"No," he confessed.

Vanyel flicked the reins over the horse's head and handed them to one of his companions. "Well then, best you ride with me this time."

He extended a hand and Quatre took it, unsure of what to do. "Put a foot here and I'll help you up." He did as he was told, placing his right foot on the stirrup. He hopped twice and then he felt himself hoisted up onto the saddle, swinging a leg down to the other side and trying to keep his balance.

Vanyel then moved over to the side of the massive stallion. The animal's gray coat glistened. In one fluid motion, Vanyel mounted the beast behind Quatre. He put his arms around him and gathered up the reins.

He clucked, and the horse began to walk. Another cluck, and the mighty animal eased into a canter. The three-beat rhythm was unnerving as was the feeling of the wind stinging Quatre's eyes. He felt fragile, exposed, as though he could topple any moment to his death beneath the churning hooves.

Vanyel's arms tightened around him. "I've got you," he reassured him.

Somehow, that didn't make him feel much better. He gritted his teeth and determinedly tried not to lean too much on the body behind him. The ride passed swiftly, and soon the horse's hooves were clattering on the cobblestones in the castle courtyard.

The castle filled him with a sense of awe. It was magnificent, and larger even than he had imagined. Dozens of times he had dreamed of seeing it, but never quite like this, in the arms of a man and a stranger at that.

Servants ran up to take the reins. Vanyel dismounted and then put his hands on his waist and helped him down to the ground. Quatre grabbed his arm for a moment to balance himself and then stepped away. Vanyel let his hands drop.

"The banquet won't start for about another half-hour. You'll just have time to change, if you hurry."

"But I have nothing to change into."

Vanyel smiled. "They should have something that will suit you."

Two young women rushed up to them. One, with a cheerful smile and rosy cheeks, exclaimed, "Oh my, we just have young gentlemen sprouting up all over today!"

"Brothers, I'd wager, from the looks of it," the other affirmed.

"I have no brother," Quatre told her, his stomach twisting into knots. _Duo! Is he really here? What if that part of Trowa's story is true? _His head swam; too much had happened in too little time. He didn't know what to think or whom to believe.

"Well, then there is a resemblance, but I reckon you to be far more handsome than he is," the first woman said with a wink.

Quatre couldn't help but smile; the woman's enthusiasm was infectious. "I was told I needed to change for dinner?" he questioned, wondering what dress he could wear to a royal banquet.

"Oh, yes. I'm Hilde, and this is Noin. She'll help you find something real fine."

The next thing Quatre knew, Noin had whisked him off to a bedroom three times the size of the cottage that had been his only home. _At least the only one I remember. _He shuddered as his thoughts returned to Trowa.

How could he be a murderer? He seemed so gentle, so kind. He trembled as he remembered the kiss they'd shared. Then Trowa had spoken those words "I am your betrothed." What had he meant by that? He hadn't been the only one to say those words to him today, though.

He wanted to laugh at the irony. A week ago he had no prospects as far as finding a consort. Now, he had three: the blacksmith's daughter, the murderer, and the nobleman.

Faster than he would have thought possible, Noin produced a set of clothing of exquisite beauty. As Noin helped him dress in the unfamiliar cuts and ties of the suit, his thoughts turned to Vanyel. _Who was he? _He had never seen him before or heard Heero speak of him.

_Heero must have approved, though, if he told Vanyel to bring me to the castle, _he realized. But if Heero had known that Vanyel intended to bond with him, why had he acted so strangely yesterday? He thought back on the events. He had said he had found an answer to Quatre's dilemma about marrying Natasha. He had thought when Heero took him out in the boat that he was going to propose. _He must have been going to tell me about Vanyel instead._

"What kind of man is Vanyel?" he asked Noin.

"I don't know, milord, I've only seen him a couple of times."

"You must have heard something, though," he pressed urgently.

"I've heard he's a great warrior. His father, the duke, owns extensive lands to the east and is a second cousin to the king."

"Vanyel said he and Heero were cousins," Quatre mused.

Noin glanced up at him with a look of horror on her face. Quatre flushed, realizing that he shouldn't have called the prince by his name. He was saved from an explanation when Hilde bustled into the room.

"There you are, looking mighty handsome at that. How wonderful it will be to have two such men dining in the castle tonight!"

Noin finished with tying up his bootlace and moved back. Hilde walked around him and looked him up and down. Quatre felt uncomfortable being on display.

"Well, you do look simply gorgeous. Now, let's go. We don't want to be late."

Trepidation filled Quatre's heart as he followed Noin from the room and down to the main floor. He nervously fingered the hem of his black velvet coat. He had never before worn such a fine garment. _I don't belong here! _he thought, fear gripping him. _This is Heero's world, not mine. _When he entered the hall, Vanyel was the first person he saw. He moved forward quickly, a smile lighting his face.

"You are a vision. You outshine everyone in this dreary place."

Quatre dropped his eyes to avoid his disconcerting stare. "Thank you, milord."

"To you, I am just Vanyel."

"Thank you, Vanyel."

He gestured forward, and Quatre gave a slight bow, taking Vanyel's lead to the table. They stopped before an older man, and Vanyel introduced him. "Quatre, this is my father, the duke of Dermail. Father, this is Quatre, my betrothed."

"It is a great honor to meet you and to welcome you into my family," the duke assured him as he gave him a slight bow.

Before Quatre could reply, there was a rustling sound as everyone who was already seated at the table rose. At the far end of the room, King Treize and Prince Heero entered. They moved to the head of the table and took their seats.

Heero looked as Quatre had never seen him, dressed in all the finery of his station. At that moment Quatre realized how his friend had always dressed down in his presence, even when he was in the market and was wearing princely clothes.

Everyone else sat, and Vanyel helped him to his seat, of which he was rather indignant. He may not know many things, but this menial task, he knew. Heero was looking around the room as though he was expecting to see somebody in particular. At last his eyes fell on his and widened in surprise. _Quatre_, he mouthed.

Quatre nodded his head. They were close enough to speak to each other, but he didn't have the words. Heero, too, seemed at a loss. A servant scuttled forward and whispered something to him. Heero turned his head suddenly toward one of the Hall's entrances, and Quatre turned as well.

There in the door was a young man in an outfit that dazzled Quatre. Long, chestnut hair fell in a braid down the center of his back. His face was like delicate porcelain. His smile warmed Quatre's suddenly numb body.

Heero rose hurriedly and went to him. He then bowed low before leading the other man to the banquet table where room had been saved for him. As he sat down, Quatre noticed the adoring look that he was giving Heero.

_Duo! It has to be. That part of Trowa's story, at least, is true. _His head began to spin. Too much was happening too quickly and it was all turning into a blur in his mind.

Realizing he was staring, Quatre forced his attention back to the table and to Vanyel. Just then, food began to appear, and though he did not feel very hungry, he was grateful for the distraction.

"The king's chef is the finest in the land," Vanyel told him. "I hate to admit that, for our own is quite excellent. I am afraid you will be altogether spoiled, though, by the time we get home."

"Home." It was a strange word to hear from Vanyel's lips, knowing that it was to be his home as well. For thirteen years his home had been with Quaterina and Rashid; before that, he had no idea. What would home be like with Vanyel and the duke?

He glanced up to stare once more at Duo. After a moment the other boy lifted his head and looked at him. A look of surprise crossed the other's face as though he recognized him. Just then Heero said something, and Duo turned away again.

Quatre dropped his own eyes with a sigh. He found himself picking at a bird that rather resembled a goose. It was really quite good, and he wished he had more of an appetite so that he could enjoy it.

"That's peacock," Vanyel informed him. "The female is a brown color, and the male is bright blue with brightly colored tail feathers."

He went on to point out other exotic foods on the table. When a tray of fish was offered to Quatre, he drew back slightly. Vanyel waved his hand, and the servant removed it.

"I apologize, you have probably eaten enough fish in your life to never want to eat it again," Vanyel said solicitously.

Quatre looked at him gratefully. "I really don't care to eat fish at all."

"Then you don't have to, not now, not ever," he said.

Soon, Vanyel was lost in the food and they both ate quietly. From time to time he could feel Heero's eyes upon him, but, for the most part he seemed intent on the other man.

A wave of loneliness swept over him. Quaterina and Rashid were home, asleep by now, and Heero, the only other person he knew, might as well have been a world away. He swallowed the lump in his throat and instead spooned a piece of fish onto his plate. Vanyel noticed and raised an eyebrow but didn't ask.

The fish sat there while he stared at it. He wondered if Rashid had caught it and if Quaterina had prepared it for market. In truth, he had no intention of eating it. It was the little piece of home he needed, though. Everything was happening so fast, and the people he most depended on were not available for him to talk to. When at last one of the servants took away his plate with the fish still on it, he felt bereft, alone, and naked.

Soon after that, diners began to leave the table. He made his excuse to Vanyel and hurried up to his room, wanting more than anything to be alone. He undressed swiftly, mindful of the delicate material of his clothing, and donned a new pair of looser slacks and a white cotton shirt.

He was exhausted, but sleep wouldn't come easily. Too much had happened in too short a time. His mind kept going over the events of the day, seeking some kind of meaning out of it all.

Where had Trowa come from? Was he really a murderer? Remembering the kiss they had shared on the beach made his cheeks tinge scarlet in the darkness. He couldn't believe that a murderer could kiss that way. _Not that I'd know anything about kisses, _he thought as he rolled onto his side.

He had known Trowa less than an hour and he had kissed him. He couldn't believe he'd had the audacity. Worse still, he couldn't believe that he himself had let him. Why, then, had time seemed to stand still when Trowa had kissed him? And why did he find himself holding his breath when he remembered it?

Then again, he had known Vanyel for less than a minute and he was engaged to him. He hadn't tried to kiss him yet, even though in a week he would have the right to far more than that from him.

He colored more fiercely thinking about the ceremonial night. He had thought of being bonded in the past, and even fancied bonding with another male, but never that aspect of it. His stomach twisted in nervous knots, and he couldn't help but wish that it would be Heero, or even Trowa, whom he would give himself to.

But Heero was going to bond with Duo, the man who had saved his life. And Trowa, he didn't know where Trowa was, but he was probably imprisoned somewhere. _I wonder what's going to happen to him. Could he have really done those terrible things?_

He fell asleep, and the nightmares came back stronger. Only now he watched as Heero kissed Duo. A hand touched his shoulder, and he turned around to see Vanyel staring at him. He bent down to kiss him, and over his shoulder Quatre saw Trowa staring at him.

He closed his eyes so he would not have to see him, and kissed Vanyel.

* * *

The next day was the busiest in Quatre's life. For two hours in the morning he was subjected to the not-so-delicate ministrations of the royal tailor. The gaunt man draped heavy garments onto him, took measurements of every contour of his body four times, and even managed to stab Quatre's ankle with one of his pins. 

The blood shocked the tailor more than it did Quatre, though: the older man had turned ash white and muttered apologies for five minutes, bowing constantly. Quatre just stared at him, bewildered. _Does he actually think I'm going to do anything to him? _he wondered.

No sooner had the man left than Hilde was dressing him in clothes much simpler than the velvet one of the night before, which was still more elegant than anything he had ever owned. The coat was scarlet, and as Quatre looked at himself in the reflective glass in his room he couldn't help but think back to earlier in the week when he had viewed the white of his skin against the red of the tomato he'd purchased at the market. _Now I'm wearing the tomato, _he thought with a rueful shake of his head.

Once dressed, the excited maid led him downstairs. Vanyel was waiting for him in the hall. Walking up to him, he had to admit himself that the marquis was very fine looking.

"I thought you could use some fresh air after your busy morning," he told him. "I thought a picnic would be in order. It will also give us a chance to talk, get to know each other better."

"That would be nice," Quatre answered, warming to him slightly. He did seem to be thoughtful for a nobleman.

Vanyel gestured forward with one hand and together they walked toward the door. Halfway there, Heero walked through it, and Quatre felt his heart stop for a moment.

Heero looked at him, mouth slightly open as though he was about to say something. Then he closed it and dipped his head in acknowledgement.

"Vanyel… Quatre."

"Highness," Vanyel responded.

"Heero," Quatre whispered, his mouth having gone abruptly dry.

Heero took a step closer. He looked like he wanted to say something, and Quatre wished he would, anything to break the dreadful silence that suddenly surrounded them.

Finally he spoke, and his voice sounded hoarse to him. "I want to take this opportunity to congratulate you both. Vanyel, there is no finer man than Quatre."

"A happy fact that I am well-acquainted with," Vanyel answered.

"Quatre… the two of you make a handsome pair," Heero said in a tone laced with diplomacy, staring deeply into his eyes.

There was something shining in his eyes, but Quatre couldn't read it. There was more that he wasn't saying. Frustrated, he nodded to acknowledge that he had spoken.

Heero straightened up. "May the Light bless your impending union."

"We are most grateful to you wish, Highness."

Heero nodded and then smiled in a pained manner. "I shall not keep you."

He left swiftly, and Vanyel patted Quatre's hand. "I thank the Light to give me the courage to ask you," Vanyel said, loudly enough that Heero could hear. "Shall we be on our way?"

"Yes."

The picnic was pleasant, but at the end of it Quatre felt like he knew Vanyel no better than he had the day before. Vanyel told him stories of his childhood and of tournaments he had entered and won. Some of the stories were heroic, some funny, but there was something lacking in all of them. Quatre had no sense of his true personality, his morals, his soul. That worried him.

On the way back to the castle they rode through the center of the village, Quatre sitting before Vanyel on his steed. The taller man wrapped an arm possessively around his waist. Quatre had been used to inciting stares and whispers his entire life, but nothing like this. Several people actually began cheering.

_I lived a simple life, as a fisherman's son, and they despised and feared me. Now that I am to be bonded to a marquis, they treat me as one of their own, _he thought bitterly.

Still, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of satisfaction when the mother of the boy he had saved from the runaway cart looked up at him with a mixture of awe and jealousy on her face.

"Would you mind if we stop and speak with Master Padan for a moment?" Vanyel asked him suddenly.

The mention of Master Padan made Quatre suddenly feel nauseated. Talking to the High Priest would make it all too real. Still, he forced himself to say, "No, I won't mind."

Vanyel pulled the steed up in front of the Temple of the Light. He dismounted in one fluid motion and helped him down as well. He flipped the reins over the horse's head and let them dangle toward the ground. The mighty beast made a chuffing sound and shifted his weight onto three legs.

Vanyel patted the horse's neck before taking Quatre's elbow and leading him into the temple.

Master Padan had already heard the news and was staring sternly at them as they paid their respects to the symbol of the Light on his staff. Quatre twisted his pearl between his fingers as Vanyel and Master Padan talked. Within a minute the time for the ceremony had been set and his fate had been sealed.

Exiting the temple, Quatre was shocked to see Thomas kneeling next to Vanyel's horse, with the silent figure of Natasha standing behind him.

"Can I help you sir?" Vanyel asked, sounding equally surprised, eyeing the man and girl behind him.

The blacksmith rose slowly. He turned and faced them. "Your horse looked like one of his shoes was working itself loose." He held up his hammer. "He should be good for a couple more days now, but I'll need to check all his shoes."

"Thank you," Vanyel replied. "I'll see that one of my servants brings him to you in the morning."

Thomas nodded. He stared at the ground for a moment and twisted his hands about his hammer. At last he looked up again and looked Quatre in the eyes. "My pleasure."

"What do I owe you?" Vanyel asked.

Thomas then seemed to hesitate and glance behind him before answering, "No charge, milord. Consider it a bonding gift. May the Light shine on you both."

Shame flooded Quatre as he looked at the blank features of the girl who up to now stood quietly behind her father. Natasha was a good woman, she deserved better than this. He didn't know what to say, though.

Vanyel saved him the trouble. "Thank you both and good day to you and your daughter, blacksmith," he said before helping Quatre hoist himself up onto the saddle. He mounted behind him, and in a moment they were off, leaving behind the blacksmith, the village, and everything he had ever known.

Back at the castle he had yet another meeting with the tailor and then he met with various instructors on decorum and other obscure subjects. Last, he spoke with another gentleman about social matters pervading the current royal court. By the time dinner was being served, he hardly felt like going down; an aching head could do that to people. Hilde urged him to dress up, though, and sent him on his way.

The food was just as extravagant as it had been the night before and, just like the night before, he found he had little stomach for it. After dinner, he dragged himself back upstairs and quickly fell asleep.

He dreamed that a man came into his room and shook his shoulders, trying to wake him. Soon the man disappeared, and Quatre began to dream again, this time the old dreams – and they were just as disturbing as always.

TBC

* * *

Author's Notes: 

I am now a proud owner of book four of the Artemis Fowl series: The Opal Deception. Whee! Haven't finished reading it yet, though.

Oh, and I heard that DMP is offering a new line of **yaoi bath soaps **(the one in bottles) and I SO want a crate of them. I wonder what they'll do when left alone in the shower... Hmm... (nosebleeds)

Since my notes seem to be too short this time, allow me to relate a disturbing incident that took place in the seminar I attended about a week ago. At the last night of our stay (therefore a night of rest – it was after we had our spelunking adventure!), the hotel we stayed in hired an ethnic group to perform a few tribal dances. After the show, they offered free head, back, and foot massages. We, the participants of the seminar, lined up and sat on pillows strewn on the floor; the women were behind us, massaging our heads and backs, and the men were in front, massaging our feet. The guy (in a g-string or loincloth or whatever Igorot men wear) massaging my feet started asking me questions about our trip to the caves. Out of the blue, he asked me if I already have a husband. I was like "Oh my god, I'm only 18, darn it!" and he's like "We're all bachelors here (gesturing to the row of men who were massaging feet) so…" I kinda tuned him out after that. It's a scary thing: to have the guy massaging your feet suddenly kinda-propose (too strong a word?) to you. (shudders)

* * *

Replies to Reviews (Chapter 7): I baked tiramisu yesterday 'coz we had nothing to eat. So, tiramisu for everyone! (No, you won't get food poisoning or something. Other than that, I can't guarantee edibility) 

**Burned Vamp** Whee! Neopets rule our hearts and the world! Whee! I have a Shoyru named Ken004 and I used to have a Bruce but it was too high maintenance so… yeah. 'Nyways, thanks for thinking it's a great chapter. Oh, and Quatre was around, but since the chapter was in Duo's POV, he was too busy ogling Heero to pay much attention to Quatre. Sorry. Hehe.. thanks for the review! (huggles)

**Hikaru** Eh? You were right about what? Tell me! Please? Oh, and I'm gonna insert 1x2 action somewhere but we're now gonna concentrate on how the 3x4 action will take place, 'kay? Gomen 'bout that. Hehe. Thanks for the review! And be careful with your dancing; don't bang on walls or trip on staircases like I normally do. (sweatdrops) Ja! (huggles)

**keiichisei** Whee! I love fantasy so much that it's all I ever write about. (reads what keiichisei said in the review again and glows with pride) I am truly speechless. Thanks SO much for putting a poor writer's heart at ease. (huggles keiichisei to near-death) BTW, nice name. (snickers) It's cute, really. (read you bio) Oh, and sorry for taking too long. This chapter was a bitch to write. Hmmm… wonder why… ()

**no one** WAAAAH! I AM SO SORRY TO DO THAT TO TROWA! IT'LL GET BETTER, I SWEAR! WAAAH! Oh, and why Trowa? It'll be answered in the next chapters. Hehe… (huggles no one... wait, that came out weird... ) Oh, and here's another GW plushie for you! (hands over a Trowa plushie)

**GundamPilot03** Hehe, hope you like tiramisu! (starts glaring at evil guys who hurt Trowa and at Vanyel along with GP03) Hehe, take your sweet time with the picture. Make it look as "Trowalicious" as possible! Nyahaha! Just imagine, a merman Trowa with Amazing Pecs. (drools uncontrollably) Urk, oh, you're still here. Sorry. Was daydreaming. 'Nyways, hope your mini-fic turned out ok 'coz mine surely didn't. Thanks for the review! (huggles)

**Fairren** Awww, thanks SO much for wuffing me! Whee! I still hope you wuffs me after this chapter… 'coz I certainly do not like myself right now. Waaah! What am I doing to poor Quatre! Hehe, thanks for the review! (huggles)

**PATTY 40** Nyahaha, sorry for taking my sweet time in updating this uberly bitchy fic. I finished it yesterday and I just skimmed it over so sorry for the typos or whatever. A 10 over 200? Hehe. Kidding, kidding. Hope you like the new installment though. Thanks for the review! (huggles)

**Pandora-chan** Nyahaha, yeah, it's still officially summer in the Philippines although it started raining. The temp even reached 38 degrees Celsius though (um, I do not have the brain capacity right now to convert it to Fahrenheit, gomen) and it's sweltering here. Autumn? In NZ? Really? Cool! Aww, yeah, Duo's having a problem in regard to how he could save his brother... I have the same difficulty too. I have something planned though and I hope it works out… somehow. Blowfishes? (snickers too) Hehe, could work! 'Nyways, thanks for the review! (huggles)

**Amy Hirosaki** Awww, thanks SO SO much! I hope your opinion about this fic doesn't change with this new chapter… Oh, ehehehe, yeah, read your profile. It's a habit. Speaking of, my neopet is safe from harm. My neopoints are running low though… Ne, what did you mean by "signing a gaia?" Waaiii! Thanks for the cool review! (huggles)

**Romie** Yeah, Heero does seem negligent of Quatre… Hmmm… wonder why. Noticed the similarities too? Hehe, in some angles, their faces do look alike; heck, they have the same artist. I just had this insane feeling that I was pulling way too much on the fabric of reality regarding their resemblance. Oh well. Hehe, thanks for the review! (huggles)

**Nerb** Ehehehe, sorry for accusing you of having a Relena fetish (shudders). Um, I think I better hide from all the Relena supporters out there. Oh well. Oooooh, I wanna see that piccie! Whee! Wait… (nosebleeds) You have a weird teacher. Hehe, you noticed the issue of the braid? 'Tis not the case of being a small town but of being a small… you guessed it… beach. Did that make sense? (probably not) WHEE! You have a deviantart account? Gimme the link! Onegai? I wanna see that Wuffie, err, I meant Wufei, darn it, piccie! Nyahaha! I wonder what'll happen when Treize sees it? (tries to incorporate idea into her fic) I hate it when people don't update for years. Heck, I hate it when people don't update for months! Oh, and you had a fic taken down? EVIL FF! Oh, and about the seminar, I think my notes answers that. Thanks for the review! (huggles)

**Mikki Amboree** EH! Did I mention something about studying! Whoops, I mean, yeah, it's hard to study and write fics at the same period of time. I think. Bad, bad, student. You should've just turned your back on the pc forever 'till SAT's over. Or not. (read: guilty conscience) Hehe, I hope I didn't traumatize you with my story of the seminar! Thanks for the review! (huggles)

**Shadow fat** Gah, I know the feeling of after-exam euphoria, err, I meant, lethargy. Aww, good thing the last chapter had that effect on you 'coz I have a sneaking suspicion that this new chapter puts barbs in your brain or something. Gah. … They'll live happily ever after? … Hehe, kidding, kidding. Geez, my sense of humor should be banned and locked up in the farthest recesses of my nonexistent brain. Aww, thanks for maintaining the view that my characters aren't OC. That thought had been plaguing me with every word that I type. Geez. Oh, you have a little sis too? Gah, bratlings, the lot of them! 'Nyways, thanks SO much for the review! (huggles)

**Nolwe the Lady Dragon** Oooh, um, you reviewed chappie 5, and I hope you get to read this reply. (yeah, too lazy to post the reply at the correct chapter) Hope you like the latest chapters! And I'm so sorry for doing what I did ('tis not my fault, really!) to Trowa! Thanks for reviewing! (huggles)

**Sanoske & Shar** Awww, and a (belated) Happy Mother's Day to you too. Negative things? Tell me! Oh, and **WHO DIED? **Thanks for reviewing! (huggles)


	10. Part 9

Disclaimer: Blah, blah, fishcakes. Err, I mean, standard disclaimers apply.

Finally, progress. I think.

Oh, and can anyone tell me if the link to chapter 6 is broken? Someone mailed me that it is and I checked it but it was working so… thanks! (huggles)

**Out of the Sea**

By _Ninetails_

Chapter 9

Quaterina quaked as the footman helped her into the coach. Rashid climbed in after her and sat on the seat across from her, looking as nervous as she felt. Neither of them had ever been to the castle before and weren't sure what to expect.

The carriage started with a slight jolt, and Rashid smiled wanly at her.

"How do you think our Quatre is doing?" she asked Rashid.

He smiled. "I imagine he is well."

She had known him long enough, though, to read beyond the smile, and the look in his eyes was one of worry.

She was worried too. She didn't know anything about the marquis or his father, the duke. _At least it's not the blacksmith's daughter_, she reminded herself. She just hoped that Quatre was happy. The marquis seemed like a nice enough man, and he could offer Quatre so much.

They reached the castle in short order and were escorted quickly through it to their room. She heard Rashid muttering beside her the entire way.

The walls were of great stone blocks, the same as the rest of the castle. They were covered in tapestries, and the floors were covered with fur rugs. There was a large bed, two small sitting tables with chairs, and a standing wardrobe. A window in the room gave a splendid view of the village.

The servant deposited their bags, and, bowing, began to leave.

"Excuse me, could you tell us where to find our son, Quatre?" Quaterina asked before the man could leave.

"I will tell him that you have arrived, ma'am," the man said. "Dinner will be served in a quarter of an hour." He bowed then exited.

"It's bigger than our whole house," Rashid noted.

"It's bigger than three of our houses," Quaterina corrected him.

"It's too big. What does one do with all this space?"

she shrugged her shoulders. "I have no idea." She moved around, inspecting the bed and the other furniture. Everything was heavy-looking, made out of the finest wood.

"I guess we should find the Hall," Rashid noted.

Quaterina nodded, and they went out in search of dinner.

* * *

Quaterina was exhausted. She couldn't remember ever eating so much. As overwhelming as the food had been, though, sitting at the same table as the king had been more so. His Majesty was a surprisingly cordial host, able to engage them in a hearty conversation. He, too, was as handsome as they say he was. She sighed, looking down at her dress. She had been sadly out of fashion, especially compared with the other ladies in court.

"What do you think is going to be expected of us as the parents of a Royal Consort?" she now asked Rashid, back in their room.

He shrugged his broad shoulders. "I have no idea. Personally, I just hope to be left alone in our own little house."

She rolled her eyes at him in a teasing fashion. Rashid was plainspoken, and she knew he had been ill at ease all during dinner.

"What did you think of Duo?" she asked.

He stopped pacing and looked at her. "I think he reminded me a lot of our son," he said warily, taking a step closer to her.

"Me too. You don't think…"

"That there's a connection"? Rashid asked. "I don't know, but it makes me nervous."

"We always assumed that Quatre was one of a kind, unique."

"And now we're both wondering, 'What if he isn't?'"

Quaterina nodded.

He shook his head. "We have to ask Quatre what he knows of him."

Quaterina laughed nervously. "It's strange, but after all these years, I almost don't want to know."

"I understand," he said softly. "We know what we both think. Either we're about to lose everything we've believed for so long, or…"

"Or have it confirmed for us," she breathed.

Silence stretched between them. in their hearts they had believed that Quatre wasn't entirely human. Neither knew for sure what he was, but the thought of finding out was a bit overwhelming. Sometimes it's better to guess at the truth than know it. actually, what frightens me more is the thought that we might've been wrong all these years.

Rashid picked up a candle. "I'm going to take a look around before bed," he told her, exiting the room.

The spell was broken, and she laughed out loud. Whether he would say so or not, she knew he was nervous at the thought of sleeping in a place he did not know.

She heard running steps outside the room and turned just as Quatre burst through the door.

"Mama!"

Quatre rant into her arms and she could feel the tremors coursing through his body.

At last, when he had calmed down enough to let go of his stronghold on her, she gently let him go to look deeply into his distraught face. "Now tell me, child, what is it that is bothering you?"

"Mama, there's… just too much, I can't…" Quatre choked. She felt the sorrow in his eyes cut through her heart. She couldn't stand to see her child in pain. "Try, love, please – you used to tell me everything. Well, almost everything," she joked, waving a hand at their surroundings.

Quatre smiled a little at that, and it warmed Quaterina's heart.

"Mama, tell me about that night."

Quaterina frowned at him. "What night is that?"

"The night you and Papa found me."

Quaterina sighed. The time for avoiding the topic was over – it had to be, even she knew that. "It was Papa who found you. why do you want to hear it again?"

"I just do."

Quaterina's frown deepened. For years she had successfully avoided Quatre's many questions on the topic. She didn't have all the answers. her Quatre was grown up, though, and the time for questions had come. She wished she felt more prepared, but she wasn't. All she could tell him was what she knew, what she and Rashid has seen. So many nights Quatre has asked her for the details and Quaterina has skimmed over them. tonight, though, it might be different, it must be.

Quaterina sighed and her face grew very still. "It had been a beautiful day, the sun was shining, and the sky was the brightest blue you ever saw. There was not a cloud anywhere in sight. I remember thinking that there had never been such a beautiful day, at least not in my memory." She chuckled. "Even Master Padan was in a good mood."

Quatre chuckled at the mention of the dour old man. Quaterina laughed, and Quatre joined her. Finally, they quieted.

Quaterina sobered, remembering. "Even the ocean was still, as though it were holding its breath. It was Saturday, so your father didn't take the boat out until after lunch."

Quaterina stopped, remembering the feeling of trepidation she had when she saw Rashid off that afternoon. The day had been beautiful, but something had seemed amiss to her, something she couldn't explain.

Quatre sat with an expectant look at her, wincing at the memory. "And then everything changed, in a moment. The sky turned black, and the seas started boiling. The rain began to fall in great sheets, and you couldn't hear anyone speak for the thunder. It was so dark that even the lightning revealed nothing more than a step away from you. folks say it was the Devil's Storm. It destroyed half a village five days' walk from here. I was in the market and somehow I made my way home. Finally, a voice told me to go look for him. I walked to the beach and I saw him trying to drag the boat up onto the sand. He had fallen, and the boat was slipping back into the water. I put my hands over his and helped heave the boat backward to safety."

"Father made it home."

She nodded. "And when he did, he wasn't alone."

"I was with him," Quatre said, almost too quietly for her to hear.

Quaterina nodded. "Yes, you were."

"The storm came up so fast, I didn't even have time to start home."

Quatre jumped, and they both turned to see Rashid standing a few feet away. The light from the candle he was carrying cast shadows across his face but did nothing to hide his piercing eyes.

"I started to pull for shore as hard as I could, but the sea only swept me farther out. at one point I was sure I was going to die. I prayed for the Light to shine on my wife and keep her safe. It was at that point that I saw a light in the water. I rowed over and looked down in the water. I saw a little boy treading water."

Rashid moved and sat down on Quatre's other side. "Your hair was floating on top of the water, glowing. I pulled you into the boat. You weren't wearing a stitch of clothing, and when I tried to wrap a wet blanket around you, you just made a face and threw it off. Then I began to row again, harder than before. I knew the Light did not intend for me to die on that ocean. The Creator would not have led me to find you if He didn't want me to take you to shore. Eventually we made it to the beach. Quaterina found us and we ran home."

"I couldn't believe what I was seeing," Quaterina continued. "You looked about four. Everything about you was small and delicate except your legs; I've never seen legs that long on a child."

"And you eyes," Rashid added. "They were so big, and they seemed to glow with a luminous light."

"When Rashid set you down you didn't move, and you were so pale that I thought you were dead, drowned. But then you looked up at me and said something I couldn't understand. You didn't speak English. Not a word for almost an entire season. And then, when you did speak, the first word you said was 'Papa.' Then you spoke naturally, like you'd been learning all those words and saving them up."

"Your skin was so pale," Rashid added, "that when you held your hand up to the fire, it was as though I could see through it. we both could."

"We told everyone that you were the child of one of my cousins who lived in the village that was destroyed by the storm," Quaterina explained.

"And this pearl?" Quatre questioned, fingering the large pendant on his throat.

"You had that clutched tightly in your fist. I couldn't get it away from you until you fell asleep and your hand loosened," Quaterina explained.

Quatre sat quietly, as though he was absorbing the information. "Do you think I'm human?"

Quaterina shook her head slowly. "I don't know," she said, her voice a hoarse whisper. "I've never known and, Light, I've never wanted to know."

"It was safer that way," Rashid explained.

"The truth is, we didn't know and we didn't care if you weren't. We just knew that we were happy to have your, our beloved little boy, and we weren't going to let any harm come to you. Rashid was meant to find you, I have always believed that. We were meant to protect you, and I will believe that until my dying day."

"There's two other young men, they look like me," Quatre confided.

"I saw the one lad, Duo, earlier at dinner," Quaterina told him. "I noticed the resemblance and I confess I wondered if he was somehow related to you."

"What about the other man?" Rashid asked.

"I found him, a couple days ago, sitting by the sea. He claimed to know me, that I had been kidnapped as a child and he had been searching for me ever since."

"Not the man they caught who's been killing people?" Rashid asked, horrified.

Quatre nodded. "I haven't known what to think. I _do _know that what he said to me had the ring of truth to it."

Quaterina exchanged a glance with Rashid. It could be true, but the thought frightened her. What if their Quatre left? Worse, what if more people came looking for hi and whoever kidnapped him was among them? "Have you heard where they're keeping him?" she asked.

Quatre shook his head, and Quaterina sighed. "Then we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

* * *

Quaterina felt as though she'd blinked and three days had passed. She and Noin had become great friends, and had taken over all the preparations for the bonding ceremony. She spent a whole day discussing the royal banquet with the chef who was a delightful man. He even gave Quaterina some cooking tips that she planned on using at home.

Rashid spent his time scowling around and looking generally uncomfortable. If only Quatre were happier, Quaterina would have found the whole adventure wonderful. She hadn't been able to get the thought out of her head that Quatre might have been kidnapped as a child. That, coupled with the fact that Duo could very well be connected to Quatre's past, added to her unrest.

She made her way to Quatre's room to wake him for some final arrangements. "Tomorrow is the big day," she told Quatre as she woke him.

There were dark circles under Quatre's eyes that stood out in sharp contrast against his pale skin. "Are you all right?" Quaterina asked, sitting down beside him.

"I'm just having bad dreams," Quatre answered groggily.

Quaterina's heart filled with great sympathy. "It's normal to feel anxious before such a special event," she assured him. "Why, I didn't sleep for three days before your father and I were bonded."

"Truly?" Quatre asked. "Were you nervous?"

"Incredibly," Quaterina confided with a tiny grin. "I worried about all manner of things, but mostly whether I was making a huge mistake."

"But you didn't."

"No, I didn't. Your father is a wonderful man and I couldn't be happier." She gave Quatre's shoulder a squeeze. "It will work out for you, too. Now, up with you and let's see to what we have to see to."

She beamed as, later on, Quatre tried on the traditional bonding garb. He looked handsome and grown up. Her Quatre has grown up into a fine man.

* * *

_Things are going even better than planned,_ Vanyel thought with satisfaction. As the manservant was putting the final touches on his clothes, he couldn't help but chuckle in satisfaction.

His father sat across the room, waiting for the servant to finish and leave. The two of them had much to discuss.

For the past five days he had managed to keep Quatre and Heero from speaking to each other, lest either figure out his deception. He felt a momentary twinge of regret. Quatre really was a remarkable young man, and very beautiful. Perhaps if he had met him under other circumstances… he shook his head. Under other circumstances he never would have looked at him since he was a commoner. No, Quatre was just part of the game he and his father had been playing for months. A game that would win them the throne.

It had been Vanyel's spies who had first discovered the unique relationship between Quatre and Heero. It had been his intention to find some way to exploit it, though the current turn of events surprised even him. Still, things were working out well. The prince was uneasy and off-balance. That made him vulnerable, and a decade of tournaments had taught Vanyel how to exploit vulnerability.

His father has been planning for years to kill King Treize and seize the throne. The day after next, years of planning would start to pay off. It was a shame, really, that he wasn't going to have an opportunity to have Quatre in his bed; he would be dead before sundown, after all.

The servant finished and, bowing, left the room. After a minute, Vanyel crossed to his father.

"Everything is in place," the duke said, a wicked gleam in his eyes. "In the morning, a dangerous criminal will escape and poison the king."

"The killer's connection to the prince will be discovered, and he will be killed."

"And after the others are dead, the throne will be ours."

Vanyel picked up a wine goblet from the table. "I'll drink to that," he said with satisfaction, and downed the clarrey in one swallow.

The duke lifted a glass as well. "Here's to us: What a fine pair of widowers we will be."

TBC

* * *

Author's Notes:

My cousins were confined to the hospital last Wednesday. I had to take care of the stupid little, err, I mean, poor little souls. Then, my other cousin and my little sis had fevers as well. And now, my five year old cousin was also confined. So, I had to take care of the miserable, err, I mean, distressed angels. I blame it on the weather. They spend half the time in AC'd rooms, then they'd go out to play in our playground under the sweltering sun. Geez. And I managed to catch the disease that's been lurking around the house so I feel miserable as well. That's one of the reasons why I wasn't able to update this week.

The other is the dreaded, plain, old, writer's block. Hence the shortness of this update. Whee. Err, I mean, GOMEN NASAI!

Oh, and have I ever mentioned that this'll be the last GW fanfic I'll write for a long, LONG time?

* * *

Replies to Reviews (Chapter 8): Um, hospital food for all? (snickers)

**Hikaru** … Gwaugh! I am SO sorry for taking too long with this chapter! It wasn't intentional, I swear! Waaaaaaahh! (runs away straight to a darned wall) Ehehehe, so sorry for forgetting what I told you two chappie replies ago and asking you to clarify. I'm glad you're enjoying making guesses as to what happens in this crappy fic. Thanks SO much for being the first reviewer of chapter 8! (huggles)

**Pandora-chan** Hehe, I hope you didn't mind a Quaterina-centric chappie! I would also write a Rashid-centric one but… it's too troublesome. (remember the writer's block thingie?) Hmmm… I have other plans for Duo and Quatre so stay tuned… if I ever get to write it, that is. Hmm… I wonder how Duo would "act-out" a sea witch… (starts getting images in her head and she falls down, giggling madly on the floor) Yup, 38 Celsius. See the effects of such weather? Almost everyone in the house is sniffling or coughing, but you didn't need to know that. Thanks SO much for reviewing! (huggles)

**Amy Hirosaki** Waaaahhh! I'm sorry for making you wait so long! The mysteries in this story will unfold soon, I promise… I hope. Waaaaaaahh! I am such a mean girl! Ehehehe, I'll try signing in at Gaia… someday. My net load's running low and I still have to upload this fic. My browser is uber slow. Oh well. Yup, I have all four books of the Artemis Fowl series! I have to say I liked the 3rd one best. Not gonna tell why… it'll be a spoiler. Peep S Prifles? Gomen, not familiar with it… 'Nyways, thanks SO much for the review! (huggles)

**Mikki Amboree** Hmm.. sorry for not writing anything more interesting in this chapter, maybe except for the last scene… (looks away, pondering) and I'm so sorry for not updating for a long time. 'Nyways, glad your SAT went fine! (not really familiar with it though…) Btw, Trowa? A murderer! … Maybe… Nyahahahaha! Okay, shutting up now. Thanks for the review! (huggles)

**GundamPilot03** (sigh) Here's another Trowa-torture-free chappie for you… Sorry for taking too darned long. I'll get to writing as soon as I can. I hope. Hehe, I have a feeling that you're ready to bash Vanyel into the ground. (hands over a mallet full of nasty-looking spikes) Use this! Err, wait, don't! I won't have a villain to use! Hmmmm… your guess just might be right! I think. Hehe. Don't worry about the piccie. Just take your time and do justice to the gorgeousness that is Trowa. (drools) Trouble? Awww. Hope you're out of it already. (I think you are; this fic has taken _that _long) Thanks SO much for the review! And since I'm giving everyone hospital food, I snuck out a muffin just for you! Enjoy! (huggles)

**Da-Ku Hisaki** Waaaaaaaah! I'm so sorry for updating too slow! I'll get to writing the next chapter as soon as I can… or as soon as I get my butt out of "bum mode." … or as soon as I get out of my block… or… You get the picture, ne? Hehe, thanks for the review! (huggles)

**emerald** (sigh) Another one. I am SO sorry for taking too long! (tries to cower under chair) Poor Gundam Wing boys; the torture I put them through. I should be shot! (that way, I won't have to work on this fic no more! Nyahaha!) Hmmmm. Interesting theory. Let's see if the story works out that way, ne? Or you might be surprised… or irritated. Waaaaah! Gomen nasai! Hmmm.. there'll be more Trowa in a chapter soon to come. Demo, there's more Trowa angst too so… yeah. Wai! You're making something else that's related to Trowa! Please gimme a link (direct links don't work on though so I wasn't able to see the link you gave me) or mail me at jo(underscore)9tails(at)yahoo. Thankees for the review! And don't worry, English is my second language too! (huggles)

**Ultra Rodimus** Nyahaha! Poor Duo indeed! I really couldn't do anything with his braid (in fear of a beam cannon aimed at me via one "perfect soldier") so his voice had to go. And Trowa? My poor baby is all shackled up! I'm so sorry to do that to him but it was necessary for Vanyel's plot! Oops, I think that was a spoiler. Gomen nasai! (tries to hide under convenient mound of… cd cases) Gwuargh, I hate having writer's block! When I first started on this chapter, I spent three hours just staring at the title. Die writer's block die! 'Nyways, thanks SO much for the review and the sympathy! (huggles)

**No one** Awwww… I am SO sorry with the Heero, Quatre, Duo and (especially) Trowa torment! I should've picked "angst" for the genre… "dark" or "torture" works too. Waaah! It gets better, I promise! Really! I hope… 'Nyways, so sorry for taking too long to update and thanks for the review! (huggles)

**Shadow fat** … Nice, err, fantasy… I hope this fic didn't disrupt your two-hour lesson-absorbing. Wait, what was I thinking! I'm glad this fic saved you from a 2-hour Bio class! Nyahaha! Although I have to admit that Bio is one of my fave subjects… No, I am NOT a nerd. Eww… human tea bags! (looks suspiciously at Shadow fat and surreptitiously edges away) Aww, don't worry, that kiss was only a dream sequence. But you're right. Gross. Hmmm. Trowa's doing okay in the dark, musty, rat-infested dungeon with probably spare amounts of nutrition and oxygen not to mention interesting growths of amoeboid species in every crevice. Um. Yeah. Ehh? You like the 1x2 pair? I like it too, but my love kinda fluctuates from 1x2 to 3x4; now, my love is for 3x4, hence, this fic. I'm glad you like the 3x4 pairing. Gah. Your analysis made my head hurt. I think there was a complement buried in there… ehehehe, thanks! Awww, I love replying to your reviews! Although, I think I babble too much about silly stuff for anyone to actually appreciate my replies. (hides behind convenient see-through wall) Hmmm.. about your question… I think that her initial reaction was to be happy for her son since she knows that he's not happy with his other choice (Natasha) – she might be too excited for her son's sake too; besides, his suitor is a marquis. Can anyone refute the word of royalty? Of course – in pain of death. Hehe, Yup being the big sister helps A LOT in bratling situations. But when the 'rents are there… (sighs in frustration) Hehe, thanks SO much for the cool review! (huggles)

To think that in a month's time, I'm turning 19. I'm getting old! Waaaaah!


	11. Part 10

Disclaimer: Blah, blah, fishcakes. Err, I mean, standard disclaimers apply.

Finally. The end is near. Stupid I was supposed to finish this fic by next week but I was delayed! Gah! (fumes) Btw, **Dentelle-noir** has my story in her favorites! Wai! (I am NOT a stalker, darn it!)

**Out of the Sea**

By _Ninetails_

Chapter 10

_We have all convened to witness the Bonding of Vanyel and Quatre under the Light as one being, one life, one soul. Before this holiest of rituals commences, whosoever in this crowd knows of any reason for these two to not be Bonded, speak, or the right may be lost for all eternity._

* * *

It was the day before the ceremony. Quatre stroked the smooth fabric of his clothes where it hung and wondered what the morrow would bring. There was nothing left for him to do. Between Quaterina and the servant, Noin, everything had been taken out of his hands. There was nothing left for him to do but wait. 

He realized that it was one of the only times he had been alone since entering the castle. Vanyel was being fitted for his own ceremonial clothes, else he was sure the marquis would be with him. Vanyel had been his constant companion for the past several days.

He wandered the castle, seeing all the places where Heero had played as a child. This was home to his friend and, after tomorrow, could never be for himself. From the looks of things, it would, however, be home to Duo.

Duo.

He had seen the boy at every turn he had made the last few days, but always, there had been others around, and before he could speak to him, Duo would have disappeared again. Quatre felt convinced, though, that Duo always looked as though he was about to speak, or at least try to. _Does he want to see me about something? _Quatre wondered. If he did, he obviously didn't want others to be around when he approached him. I_f he's going to be bonded to Heero, maybe he's just curious about me, or worried that I'm competition. _Quatre snorted to himself. There was little worry about the last. With Duo around, Heero hadn't even given him a second glance. _So much for friendship. _He sighed. At least he knew that Heero wasn't in love with him. That made it a little easier to be bonded with Vanyel, knowing that he never could have had Heero's heart.

Still, there was one who did love him, or claimed to, at any rate. He couldn't help but wonder what had happened to Trowa. Where had the guards taken him? He felt sorry for the man. From him, his thoughts returned to Duo. The two seemed so alike, somehow. It was more than just their startling physical attributes, so similar to his own. It just seemed strange that one was blind and the other mute.

On one of the few occasions that he had seen Duo, he had observed the boy trying to speak. That was not the action of someone mute from birth. Trowa had also claimed that his blindness had come on suddenly, within twenty-four hours of their meeting. _Our official meeting at any rate, _he thought, remembering the man's claim to have seen him the day before they met while he was swimming for shore.

He stopped, noting one of the finer tapestries in the corridor he was walking. It was a picture of the ocean with a mermaid sitting on a rock in the middle of it. Young men were sailing their ship toward her. Mermaid as temptress. It was an interesting story. He sighed and continued on his walk.

He heard a footstep behind him in the hall and he turned. Duo darted up to him swiftly, his enormous violet eyes bright and relieved. Before Quatre could say a word, Duo took him by the hand and motioned for him to follow. His curiosity piqued, Quatre went along.

Duo moved silently, his steps inaudible on the floor. Quatre's own footfalls were thunderous by comparison. Duo finally turned to him and placed a finger over his lips, signaling for Quatre to be quiet. Quatre nodded in understanding.

Duo moved through the corridors wraith-like, as though he had been haunting them all his life. His head bobbed from side to side, his braid swung tantalizingly against his back, as if he was listening for something, or someone. He was in his customary black; the only time Quatre saw him dressed in another color was the night of the banquet when he had his emerald shirt on. His choice of clothing made his image that more mysterious.

A chill danced up Quatre's spine. Wherever Duo was taking him, it was clear he didn't want anyone else to discover them. For a brief moment Quatre thought the other boy was luring him somewhere to kill him so he would have no competition. The thought was a silly one, though, and Quatre banished it with a slight shake of his head. Not only did the other boy have nothing to fear from him, but Quatre couldn't believe that anyone with such innocent, albeit mischievous, eyes was capable of violence.

They turned down a last corridor and then began descending a flight of stairs. Down they went, farther and farther into the bowels of the castle. Torches lit the way every few feet. Duo glanced back frequently to make sure that he was still following.

Amidst the dark and gloom of the flight, Duo's dark clothing blended well with the shadows and for a startling moment, Quatre saw him as a disembodied pale head. His eyes widened, and he blinked. No time for an overactive imagination.

At last they reached the bottom. Empty cells stood on either side of them. _The dungeon, _he realized. The place sent cold shivers of dread up Quatre's spine. Still, he forced his feet to keep moving. At the very end of the row of cells, Duo stopped.

Quatre joined him slowly and peered in. Trowa! His skin stood out in sharp contrast to the darkness around him. He came to the front and extended a hand out through the bars, groping blindly. Nervously, Quatre took it. Duo nodded slightly, giving him a cheeky grin and wink, and then moved away, giving them privacy.

"Quatre?" he said.

"Yes."

"It seems you've met my brother," Trowa noted.

"Yes," Quatre said, at a loss for what else to say.

"Are you all right?" he questioned, the worry in his voice tugging at Quatre's heart.

"Yes. Do you know where you are?"

Trowa laughed sharply, the sound tugging painfully at Quatre's heart. "Well, Duo hasn't had a lot to say."

Quatre winced at that. "Sorry."

"Don't trouble yourself over it."

"You're in a dungeon. They say you've attacked people in the neighboring towns."

He shook his head. "That's not true. I hope you don't believe that."

He shook his head, frustrated. "I don't know what to believe, to be honest."

"Believe that I love you."

A lump rose in his throat, and he couldn't speak for a moment. His world seemed upside down.

"Quatre, are you all right?"

Quatre looked deeply into his eyes, once again caught by the breathtaking emeralds that tried vainly to see him. Emotion swelled in his heart, and he longed to tell this person _everything_.

"No," he answered shakily. "Everything is all wrong. A week ago I had a simple life, just my parents, a close friend I might have loved, and me. Now there is just too much."

"What's too much?" Trowa asked soothingly.

"You and Vanyel."

"Who is Vanyel?"

"Vanyel is a marquis, and… and the one I am intended to bond. I only met him the day I met you, and yet we are having the Ceremony tomorrow morning."

No!" Trowa shouted, throwing his whole body against the bars. "You cannot!"

Frightened at the intensity of his rage, Quatre jumped away, dropping the hand that clutched convulsively around his own. "There is nothing I can do," he protested weakly.

"There is _everything _you can do. You are royalty. It is within your power to change this. You alone have the right to say who you will bond with."

The expression on Trowa's handsome face was fierce, and it frightened him. He took another step backward. "Royalty? How can that be?"

"You are! You must see that, you must remember!"

"I must do nothing more than what I am told," Quatre answered with an edge to his voice. He backed into a cell door and barely muffled a loud gasp as the cold metal dug into his flesh. "I – I must go," he said breathlessly, suppressing the convulsions that threatened to wrack his body. He turned and headed back toward the stairs.

"You need to remember who you are, Raberba!" Trowa shouted after him. "Return to the ocean and you will find yourself!"

Quatre tripped on the stairs, falling to his knees with a painful thud. He huddled for a moment, trying to calm his palpitating heart and easing the pain of his fall, before struggling back to his feet. He was relieved that Duo seemed to have disappeared.

With Trowa's words echoing in his mind, he fled the castle. Startled servants marked his passage but did not try to stop him. Once free of the castle walls, he headed for the ocean.

_Who am I? what did Trowa mean that I was of royalty and that the ocean would help me find myself? Where do I come from? _A thousand questions collided in his head, crashing like the waves upon the shore.

He slowed only when he reached the sand. Blood was roaring in his ears to match the pounding of the surf. He stopped at the water's edge and stared out at the blue-green of the water, seeming to match the light in his eyes. "Who am I?" he asked the seas.

The ocean was silent.

"Who am I?" he asked himself. He had been asking the question all of his life, but he had always been too afraid to hear the answer. Now he needed to know, no matter what the answer.

"I'm not human," he whispered to himself. It was more than physical appearance; there had always been something deep inside him that told him he didn't belong. Quaterina and Rashid knew, too; they had just never been able to admit it to him.

"If not human, then what?" he asked softly.

He had always felt pity for the fish that Rashid caught, though he had never had any such pity for the beasts of the land that the men also ate. His father had pulled him from the ocean during a storm. Trowa had been in the water when the boat that he and Heero were in had sunk. He had found Trowa sitting here beside the ocean. And something, or someone, had tried very hard to make sure that he would never step foot in the water.

It could not all be coincidence; it could all only mean one thing: He had come from the ocean. Therefore, to the ocean he would need to return to discover the truth. Maybe all those years spent sitting and staring at the ocean he had actually been searching for answers. They weren't to be found on the shore, though, he knew that now.

He folded the cuff of his trousers until they were just above his knees. Nervously grasping the pearl around his neck, he stepped into the water, taking several quick steps until he was standing in it knee-deep. "I want to know who I really am. I want to be who I really am!" he shouted.

His legs gave way beneath him, and he crashed down into the water, his trousers making alarming tearing noises. He watched in stunned horror as the part of his legs that was exposed began to grow together and silvery scales began to cover them. He started heaving great gulps of air, lungs struggling amidst the strangely foreign breeze. Pain and fear ripped through him and he scrambled backward, finally throwing himself up onto the sand. "I take it back!" he screamed. "I want to be a human!"

The pain ceased, and he lay still for a moment, too frightened to look down. At last he struggled to a sitting position. His two legs, framed by his rather torn trousers, were back as they had been: pale, gangly, and covered in human skin.

He bit his lip to keep the sob from coming out. He knew who he was. Years of searching and questioning were over. After all that seeking, he finally had the answer, but he lacked the strength to act upon it. _I am too much a coward to actually be that which I know I am, _he realized sadly.

* * *

The sun was beginning to set when he made his way, limping, back to the castle. The whole place seemed to be in an uproar, with servants and guards running about frantically. Something was wrong. 

Noin was hurrying by, and Quatre caught her arm. The servant spun, startled, then hastily curtsied.

"What has happened here?"

"Someone has tried to poison the king."

"What! Who?"

"A man who was a prisoner in the dungeon. Someone helped him escape."

Quatre's blood ran cold. Trowa had been the only prisoner in the dungeon. Duo must have been the one to help him escape. "Does the king live?"

"Only with the Light's blessing."

Quatre released Noin's arm, and the woman rushed on her way.

"Quatre!"

He jumped at the sound of that voice and whirled toward the speaker.

It was Heero. His face was as dark as a thundercloud. "Come with me," he ordered, barely slowing as he passed him. His heart beating wildly, he turned to hurry behind him. Thoughts tumbled together in his head. Maybe Heero had heard about his dealings with Trowa and Duo. Maybe he thought that he had had some part in the attempt on his father's life.

He tried to calm himself. It was useless to conjecture; it would only serve to terrify him and nothing else. He just kept moving, stumbling along behind on legs that felt even more alien to him than they had just hours before. At last they stopped, and Quatre gasped when he saw where they were.

They were in the throne room. Quatre had never been there before, but it was impossible to mistake. At one end of the room on a raised dais were two magnificent chairs the likes of which he had never seen. Guards and servants stood at every door.

"Everyone out and shut the doors!" Heero thundered.

Everyone hastened to comply with his cold tone and when the last door slammed closed, Quatre and Heero were all alone. Finally he stood for a moment, every inch of his compact frame quivering.

At last he turned to him. "You have heard what has happened."

It was a statement, not a question.

"Yes," Quatre answered, his mouth dry.

He stood staring at him for a long minute, cobalt eyes intent, and Quatre grew increasingly nervous. He finally realized, though, that his prince was staring _through _him rather than _at _him.

Slowly Heero stopped shaking, and it was as though Quatre could physically see the fight leaving his body. He collapsed in the middle of the floor and buried his head in his hands.

Quatre sank down next to him, unsure how to help. Hesitantly, he reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. Heero tensed for a moment, and then slumped again. His body began to shudder, and Quatre sat quietly with him, waiting for him to speak first.

At last Heero lifted his head and looked at him. "My father almost died today."

"I know," Quatre whispered.

"I should have seen this coming. I've been so blind, though, so befuddled, I haven't been paying attention to the things I should have been paying attention to." He looked at him and smiled grimly. "Or the people, either."

A strange quirk entered his heart at his friend's expression. "Everyone understands," he whispered.

"I don't care about everyone. I care about you. I've let you down, I know that."

"No, you haven't," he denied.

"Don't lie to me, Quatre," he said, taking his hand. "No lies between us, remember?"

He nodded, not trusting his voice to speak.

"I have been a terrible judge of character, lately. I haven't been myself since that day I hit my head on the boat."

"You've just been preoccupied."

"And the more shame on me for it," Heero answered, wincing.

He waited for him to continue. He sat quietly for a moment, but Quatre could see from the flashing of his eyes and the tightening of his jaw that there was a storm raging inside.

"A few days ago the guards captured a criminal, a murderer. He had done things – terrible things that you shouldn't have to hear about. He has been down in the dungeon. This afternoon he escaped. He tried to poison my father. He got away. The guards are searching for him as we speak."

Quatre began to shake uncontrollably. "Are you certain this man did the things he has been accused of?"

Heero nodded grimly. "And now, this. There's more… " He hesitated.

Dread filled him. "What is it, Heero? I beg you, tell me."

Heero looked at him, and his beautiful eyes were filled with tenderness. "He wounded Sir Vanyel before he escaped. Don't fear, though, he will be all right. He's a good man and I have judged him unfairly." He gritted his teeth. "He's my better in many ways. He had the good sense to see at a glance what it took me years to figure out."

Quatre stared deeply into his eyes and felt himself begin to tremble inside. What was that strange glimmer in his eye? For a wild moment he thought Heero was going to kiss him. "What about Duo?" he whispered.

"Duo." Heero's voice took on the hard edge again, and it chilled him to the bone. "It seems that Duo is the one who helped him escape. It turns out that he is the murderer's brother. I was a fool."

"Maybe you're judging him too harshly. Maybe his brother was falsely accused," Quatre protested too quickly.

"No hope of that, I'm afraid. A witness has come forth who positively identified the criminal yesterday."

Quatre felt as though the world were crashing around him. Trowa was a murderer and Duo his accomplice. Had they been trying to use him in some way in their plan to kill the king? He felt as though he was going to be sick.

"Quatre, I don't want you to worry yourself about any of this now," Heero told him softly, again speaking in a gentle voice.

"Why?" he questioned through the fog that clouded his mind. Quatre was suddenly very thankful for his familiar presence.

"You have more important things to be worrying about right now."

Heero stood up and held out his hands to him. He clasped them, and Heero pulled him to his feet. He held his hands for a moment and stared down at them. He ran his thumbs lightly over the backs of them before lifting his eyes to stare into his.

"Quatre, I really do wish you and Vanyel the best of luck. I know you'll be very happy together. Don't worry about the things I've told you. I just want you to relax and enjoy the bonding ceremony tomorrow."

Solemnly, he leaned forward and kissed Quatre's cheek. Then he released his hands and turned on his heel, striding quickly from the room. As the door slammed shut behind him, Quatre fell to his knees and felt hot tears slip down his cheeks.

TBC

* * *

Author's Notes: 

"How'd he do that!" you ask? Well… we'll see in the next chappie! (winks)

Gah, writing about an all-male cast is pretty troublesome! I hope I didn't get anyone too confused with all the pronouns. Oh, and if I made Quatre too girly again, just say so. (n.n)

FINALLY! My self-inflicted torment, err, I mean, this fic is finally _almost _over. My last attempt at a Gundam Wing fanfiction draws nearer to its closure and I am uberly ecstatic to work on the last two chapters. Whee!

I have a sneaking suspicion that I quoted Sophie's World here. Creepy.

* * *

Replies to Reviews (Chapter 9): There was a party last night (not mine!) so cakes for everyone! 

**Pezzidge** Ehehehe, I'm gonna answer your mail here, 'kay? Gomen… Server's too slooooow. Here's the full version of the next installment. Hope you like! Oooh, you just HAVE to post your GW and HP fics! I don't guarantee that I'll be able to read them (dorm life sucks) but just share it with everyone so you'll be appreciated. Full-sized bath tub? WOW. (looks in awe at you) That's A LOT! I love Disnye-related stuff too! But since my most fave Disney fairytale (and my most fave fairy tale, really) is The Little Mermaid, here's my adaptation. Thanks for liking it! (huggles)

**Mikki Amboree** … I AM OLD! (pouts) Waaah! … Boyfriend? 19? Lucky girl.. (starts sobbing again) Aww, gomen for bitching about my age last chappie. It's just that my best friend turned 19 this May and I was teasing her about it and now that June's finally here, well, I guess it's just karma. Gah. Aww… sorry about Vanyel. I wanna kick him too. Hard. In some unmentionable place of his anatomy. But that's just me. Oh well. Hope you liked this chappie! (huggles)

**Pandora-chan** (cowers in fear) GOMEN NASAI! HONTOU NI GOMEN NASAI! I hope this chappie makes up for those two (now three) weeks! It's all fault! Really! Although Trowa's in this chappie and a little bit more is revealed, I'm sorry for the lack of 1x2. Maybe next chappie? Or at the end? (tries to hide under chair but her butt's too big) Ne, ne, read your profile. Where's "Carnivale!"? I'm interested in it so go post it already! Or give me spoilers… (puppy-dog eyes) Hehe.. Gomen for acting like a little kid but I was teasing my best friend for turning 19 last month and the thought of turning 19 too entered my puny brain so… (T.T) Btw, thanks for the review! (huggles)

**Amy Hirosaki** Um… Well, I hope this chappie answered most of your questions. Can't give too much away now, ne? (winks) After all, the end is near. So, keep your cool. (tries to revive fainted Amy with threats of bonking head on nearby wall… and GW Boys plushies) The long wait is almost over. Ehehehe, it's ok with your translation. I was a bit confused and, gomen, but I still am. Is "Peep's Profiles" a book or something? Maybe a fic? Waaah! Gomen! My brain ain't working right! I'm glad you understand my English… (huggles you) Thanks for the review!

**No one** Mou! (pouts) I huggle you all the time! Well, most of the time… Ehehehe… Ooooh, interesting idea! But no, turning them into mermaids (even though they can't breathe underwater) would kinda insult the merfolk race, don't you think? (snickers) But dropping them in shark-infested waters is tempting. Too tempting. Ehehehe.. Thanks for the review! (huggles you extra hard)

**GundamPilot03** Hehe, here it is, the full version of chappie 10! Hope you like! Erm, so sorry for the Trowa torture! (even though it's just emotional and not at all physical. Really.) Ooooohhh, goodie bag! (hastily rips the bag open and inhales the contents) Ne, I really wasn't hospitalized, I just took care of my cousins who were the ones hospitalized. Sorry if you thought otherwise. But it was really the same; the food sucks, even the one on the hospital cafeteria (the shops there were a "Candy Corner," a "Smokey's" – I really don't like hot dogs, a "Delifrance" – too costly; it's only bread, darn it, and of course, hospital food. Gah. No escape for me. Oh, and they're ok now, they just have random bouts of yucky coughing so… Hmmm… don't use the mallet yet! (tries to cover up Vanyel with a flimsy piece of hanky) He's still needed… Although you could poke him with the spikes for a bit. (evil laughter) Hehe, gomen about that age rant. I was teasing my best friend when she turned 19 last month and, well, it got to me. Gah. Ooooh, you just graduated? CONGRATULATIONS! (huggles) Lucky you! I'm gonna be in my 2nd year of college (and my best friend's in her 3rd year already! Why? I transferred so… yeah. I'm SO envious!) Ehrm, yeah, this'll be my last fic. College life sucks, especially mine. Oh well. Gotta finish this and eat too. Ja and thanks for the review!

**Shadow fat** Know what? I'm Pinoy too! Hehe, I'm glad someone in this country (besides my immediate click of yaoi fangirl friends) still love GW yaoi! Eeek! Don't stalk me! I'm just a nobody, really! Besides, I'll soon be ensconced in my dorm for life so no one would get to see me. Waaah! Iyaaa! Nyehe, don't worry, you'll get to pass Bio even though your teach's a B/witch. I remember when I was in 4th year H.S., I had this gay teacher and he was teaching almost all my Math subjects (namely Number theory – quite interesting, except for the matrix lessons, so I totally refuted my earlier statement, and Calculus - sobs) and he was VERY intimidating in class and a total goofy snob outside it. … Did I make sense? Gah. Other pairs? Well… I like the 13x6x5 trio and my secret love is 2x3 (yes, in that order) so… Ehehehe… But don't worry, my love for 3x4 (and 1x2) still prevails. Don't worry, your last review didn't confuse me, I was just kidding around! (blushes) Ehehehe… calm down. Vanyel and Quatre will be bonded soon so… (tries vainly to calm the angry mob led by Shadow Fat) And yeah, as much as I adore angst, I still like stories to end in happily ever afters (or a unique, vaguely disturbing version of it…) so don't worry your little heart over it, dah'lin! Nyehehe, my cousins and I are all better now, thanks! They're really not little terrors, I just love calling them that. They could actually pound me to the ground even though I'm a lot taller and fatter than them (ok, just one of them) 'cause they're 13 and 14. Keh. Um, yeah, we talk of silly stuff. Screw those that think we're weirdos… even though they're right… well, I know **I** am weird… Nyehehe, advanced Happy Birthday too! Oooohh, sweet 16! I remember when I turned 16… I was studying for a test at that time. Yeah, studying in a Science H.S. turns people into freaky zombies. DENGUE! Poor dears! Glad you two got better! Although malaria is rampant these days so be cautious of that too. Lucky girl, you had access to Animax! We don't have Sky cable and our cable doesn't have Animax so… Waaah! My kingdom for Animax! I really wanted to watch Galaxy Angels A too! (pouts) Glad your brain didn't melt all the way! (snickers) Have you ever tried describing me as "Astig!"? Hehe. (huggles) whew, that was long

**japanesenut** Aww, thanks! Duo and Quatre! …. (silence) Err, okay. Gomen. Ehehehe, it's good that you don't mind pairings other than your chosen one. Thanks for giving my choice of pairing a try! (beams) Nyehe, I wanna see a long-haired Quatre! (takes out a pair of scissors and gets a maniacal look on her face) Yeah, he IS a shorty (I am too, I'm only 5'5"!) but well, I think you got your answer as to _why _his legs are unbearably long, ne? (winks) Aww, gomen about ranting on and on about turning 19. It's just that I was teasing my best friend about it when she turned 19 last month and… I realized that I'm turning 19 too so… (sobs in a dark corner) 18? Lucky girl! I remember when I turned 18… I had a ballroom party in a hotel (18th birthdays are a big deal in my country)… (sighs) Oh well. Thanks for the review! (huggles)


	12. Part 11

Disclaimer: All characters mentioned belong in the animé series Gundam Wing. The plot is taken from the book _Midnight Pearls _by Debbie Viguié. Please don't sue me…?

Warning: The end… is next chapter. In the off-chance that you people would still insist on reviewing the last chapter (even flame it gulp), please, please leave an e-mail add. This way, I'd be able to reply to your review as I usually do. If you signed-in at there's no need. But if you're an anonymous reviewer, please leave an e-mail add. Thanks! (huggles)

**Midnight Pearls**

By Ninetails

_All of my life_

_where have you been?_

_I wonder if I'll_

_ever see you again._

- "Again" by Lenny Kravitz

Chapter 11

_It was deathly silent, so when the heavy doors of the temple were flung open, everyone jumped. Quatre's eyes flew open as a voice rang out._

* * *

"I object!"

Quatre spun around as everyone gasped.

There at the far end of the aisle stood Trowa. He was covered in dirt and blood, and the hair covering half his face was matted down. His clothes hung in tatters from his body. From the front row, Heero leaped to his feet. "Seize him!" he ordered.

Trowa sprinted up the aisle toward him, and Quatre took a step backward. He nearly reached him before three guards tackled him to the ground. He strained his head upwards, his sightless eyes staring past Quatre.

"Don't! Quatre, don't throw your life away on someone you don't love!"

"Why did you come here?" he shouted above the racket.

"Because I love you," Trowa cried.

"But by coming here you've killed yourself," Quatre answered, dropping to his knees before his slumped form.

"Without your love, I am dead at sunset, anyway," Trowa whispered, for his ears alone.

The guards hauled him to his feet and dragged him backward toward the entrance.

Quatre stood back up. "What do you mean by that?" he called.

He didn't answer, or if he did, Quatre could not hear.

"Wait!" he called, racing after Trowa. "What do you mean by that?"

"Ask the Sea Witch!" Just then, one of the guards hit him, knocking him unconscious. His body slumped between them, and they carried him the rest of the way out of the temple, closing the doors behind them.

Slowly, the people reclaimed their seats. Quaterina and Rashid remained standing, though, hovering close to Quatre.

"Carry on, Holy One, 'twas just the ramblings of a madman," Heero instructed the priest, reclaiming his seat.

Vanyel took his hand and tried to pull him back. Quatre resisted, still staring at the closed doors. The Sea Witch, Trowa had said. The words struck a chord somewhere in his being. _Where have I heard that name? _he asked himself.

"Milord, with your permission, we will continue," Master Padan told him sternly.

Quatre turned to stare at him, and he just stared back. He remembered his first worship day, sitting and listening to the old man and only understanding every other word. He had intimidated him a little bit with his grim complexion. He had reminded him of his father as he lectured him about watching out for the Sea Witch.

_His father. _An image filled his mind, and the face didn't belong to Rashid. He saw a long, thin nose and a broad brow topped with a wreath of seaweed laced through with large white pearls. He had always wanted those pearls. He had told him when he was old enough he would have his own because he would be a prince. _Prince! Trowa has been right! He and Duo were mer-kin too!_

He turned to look at Vanyel while he spoke to Master Padan. "I'm sorry, I can't. I just can't."

Vanyel's eyes widened in shock. Quatre bent forward and kissed his cheek. "I'm sorry, but I can't accept your kind offer. I belong someplace else, and I have to find out exactly where that is."

He pulled his hand from Vanyel's lax hold and fled down the aisle amidst the shouts of consternation.

"Quatre!" he heard Vanyel shouting. "Come back!"

* * *

Heero sat, stunned, as Quatre raced from the temple. Sir Vanyel, his leg slightly wounded from his brush with the criminal yesterday, stood looking thunderstruck. A wave of pity washed over Heero, mixed with an overwhelming sensation of relief. 

His thoughts flew back to Quatre as he caught Quaterina staring at him in bewilderment. _What has gotten into Quatre? _He wasn't sure what it was, but he knew it had something to do with what the criminal had said to him. Just then, a footman slipped up to him and bent to whisper in his ear. "The king is awake and he is asking for you."

He rose quickly to his feet and exited through a side door.

Within minutes he was in his father's bedchamber.

His father was sitting, fully clothed, in a chair next to the window, with Wufei standing beside him. He chuckled as Heero came in. "Well, how did it feel to almost be king?"

"Terrible," Heero replied, not at all amused. "Shouldn't you be in bed?"

The king waved his hand. "I'm fine, Heero. The poison clarrey never touched my lips."

"What!" Heero exploded.

"No – however, I wanted others to think that it had."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

King Treize sighed. "I needed your reactions to be realistic if my plan is to work."

"What plan?" Heero asked, in a moment moving from angry to bewildered.

"My plan to catch the duke and his son at their own game."

"But, I thought that the criminal – "

The king snorted. "That poor lad is no criminal… at least not to my knowledge. Vanyel made him out to be one only to further his own schemes. He and his father were planning on killing me and blaming it on an escaped criminal."

"So, they released him."

"Actually, I released him," Wufei spoke up.

"But why?" Heero asked.

"To force their hand," the king answered.

"It looks like it worked."

"Only partially," Wufei answered. "We don't have actual proof that it was either of them who poisoned the drink."

"So, your plan failed," Heero asserted.

"No, it did not. The poisoner did leave this behind." Wufei held up an elaborate man's ring with a large tiger's-eye stone. The top swung open to reveal a tiny hollow just large enough to hold a bit of poison powder. "This shouldn't be too hard to trace."

"How did you know about the poison?"

"Your father hasn't eaten or drank anything that hasn't first been tested for months."

"So, some poor servant is dead?"

"On the contrary, it's a mouse that is dead," Wufei said with a slight grin. "The poor thing keeled right over."

Heero felt himself sag with relief, then he rubbed his head. "I can't believe you two didn't tell me about all this."

"I could say the same about you and your little friend Quatre. He certainly did not escape the duke's notice. It was unfortunate, indeed, that he has, shall we say, distinctive characteristics that are shared by the man who was imprisoned."

"Vanyel decided to bond with Quatre as part of the plot against you and you knew about it!" Heero exploded. "Why didn't you stop it?"

"It was better to have Quatre linked to Vanyel than to you. Had you bonded with him, the duke could have implicated you in my death. Of course, with the arrival of Duo, he could have done that anyway. Especially since he actually seems to be the accused man's brother."

"We think that originally they intended to blackmail you regarding you relationship with Quatre. Then, when they realized your intentions toward him might be more serious, Vanyel decided to bond with him to throw you off balance. All along they planned to imprison a man, innocent or criminal, have him escape and murder you and me. When Duo and the other man showed up, it accelerated their plans greatly. Suddenly they could say that the two did it together and you were plotting with them because of your obvious affection for Duo and your suggesting that Vanyel be bonded to Quatre."

"But I never suggested that!" Heero protested.

"Didn't you?" the king asked. "You were the one who told him to propose to bond to a commoner. You were the one eager to find for your little friend an alternative to the blacksmith's daughter. That's the story he told to everyone but you."

Heero shook his head, marveling at how close they had come to complete disaster. _And all because I was too distracted to realize that something was terribly wrong. _He turned his anger on his father. "How can you participate in all these machinations, these deceptions?"

"Dear boy, I did not get to be king by chance. I have worked long and hard to keep this throne and I will pass it on to you. When you are in my position you will understand these things. You will also learn to be more discrete in your friendships."

"Discrete? Discrete? You're a fine one to talk about that, Father. You and Wufei have been together for years now. I don't think anyone is fooled by the servant act, least of all me."

"We've never hidden our relationship from you, Heero. Wufei and I share a bond, without worry of social boundaries, as you and your friend have done. For years he has been a loyal companion and a wise counselor. He keeps me informed of all the goings-on around here, including the schemes of the duke and his son.

"If it weren't for Wufei, I wouldn't have given you nearly as much freedom. Do you truly think that you managed to elude all the tutors and all the castle guard every single week? No, Wufei told them all to turn a blind eye. He has always been an advocate for you these past years. Even with this bonding business he has been urging me to give you time to work things out for yourself."

King Treize snorted once again, earning an irritated look from both Wufei and his son. "Though at the rate you work things out for yourself, I'll be many years in my grave before I see you bonded. They're both fine young men. Just pick one of them and bond with him, son. Get on with it."

Heero was speechless. All this time he had never fooled his father, only himself.

The king shook his head wearily. "I'm sorry, son. I should have trusted you and told you what we were up to. I promise you can help us smoke out the culprit from here on out," he said, taking the ring from Wufei and holding it up for inspection.

"Allow me to save you the trouble," a voice said from the door.

Surprised, Heero turned to see the duke standing there, a sword in hand. "My son tends to be overly subtle. He likes complicated plans. Personally, I've found that the direct approaches work best."

"What do you plan on doing?" Heero demanded, moving in front of his father.

"Simple, I will kill the three of you."

"And who will you blame it on? Your 'murderer' is back in custody."

"Not anymore," the duke sneered. "It seems he managed to escape the guardsmen, killing all of them. Of course, he has me to thank for that. Then he came here to finish what he started. Never fear, though. I shall catch him along with his brother and friend, and they shall all three hang for your murders. It will then be with a heavy heart that I ascend the throne as the closest blood relative."

"You're mad," Heero told him.

"Who will stop me?"

Heero cursed the lack of weapons within range. He started to circle the duke, calculating how best to attack and attempt to disarm him. He knew the duke was a wicked fighter, much like his son.

Before he could make his move, though, Wufei lunged. The duke whirled, slashing Wufei across the stomach and sending him crashing to the ground. He raised his sword, preparing to deliver a killing blow.

A vase smashed into the duke's back. The duke staggered, stunned, and Heero lunged toward him. The king beat him there, though. From his boot, the king pulled a small dagger and plunged it into the duke's heart before the other could swing at him. The duke collapsed on the ground beside Wufei. His eyes rolled backward before they fixed in his head, and his body slumped.

Heero turned toward the door and saw Duo standing there, fists clenching furiously. "Thank you, my dear, you saved us all," the king said from behind his son.

Servants dashed past Duo and moved over to Wufei. "I'm going to be fine," he protested as they set to working on his wound, fending them off furiously. He was appeased, and not a little angered, by the kiss planted on his lips by the king.

Heero suppressed a grin, turned and strode to Duo. He pulled him out into the hallway and held his hand in one hand and his braid in the other. He looked deep into his violet eyes. "This is twice now that you have saved me. I'm going to have to keep you around," he said with a smile.

His smile faded. "Duo, I love you. I have loved you since the first moment that I saw you. Something in my blood cries out to you, and I know that I want to be with you. Please, bond with me?"

Duo nodded, his smile warming Heero's heart. He pulled his slight body close and kissed him, showing him how much happier he made him as their tongues clashed against each other.

* * *

Duo felt that his heart would burst with happiness. Heero loved him and was going to bond with him! He had won and now he could remain human and stay with him. He would live and love. His only regret was that Heero would never be able to hear him say how much he loved him. The Sea Witch might have lost the gamble, but he still kept his fee. 

Heero pulled away from him to go check on the injured man. His thoughts turned to Trowa. He didn't know where he was, but he hoped Quatre was with him. He was safe, but his brother's time was running out.

* * *

Behind the looming temple, Quatre found the bodies of the soldiers who had dragged Trowa from the building. Trowa lay to the side. He groaned slightly and sat up, rubbing at his head. 

Quatre dropped down next to him and touched his face.

He stiffened. "Who is it?"

"Someone you love," he whispered.

"Quatre! What happened?"

"I don't know, but this," he said, caressing the blood running down his face, "does not look good. Can you walk?"

Trowa nodded. Quatre helped him stand and led him quickly from the scene, heading for the ocean where they would be safe from prying eyes.

"Did you bond with him?"

"No. I didn't love him."

A look of relief flooded Trowa's beautiful face.

When they had put some distance between them and the temple, Quatre asked him the one question he needed answered. "Tell me about the Sea Witch."

"Do you remember anything?"

"Not really. All I know is that I – I'm a… I'm one of the merfolk." It was both odd and something of a relief to say it out loud.

Trowa stopped short and turned to him. "Well, that is a start."

"Yes," Quatre laughed. "Now, the Witch?"

"She was banished years ago by our people. She lives in a cave. She's trapped there, unable to leave. A strand of pearls around her neck is the source of her power."

Quatre fingered the pearl around his own neck. Could it have some connection with the Witch's pearls?

"Although her caves are forbidden, from time to time a mermaid or merman seeks her out for magical help."

"To become human?" Quatre guessed.

Trowa nodded. "But her help always comes with a heavy price. For me, it was my sight. For Duo, his voice."

"You both must have wanted very much to be human."

"Yes. Duo paid an even higher price than that."

"How so?"

"If the prince agrees to bond with him, by sunset on the seventh day, he will remain human forever."

"And if Heero doesn't?"

"Duo will die."

Chills danced up Quatre's spine. "Then that means…"

"He only has a little time left."

"Come on," Quatre cried, grabbing his hand.

"Where are we going?"

"To save Duo."

* * *

Duo hurried toward the temple. His heart was filled to overflowing with love for Heero. He had asked for them to be bonded! He would be human now forever, and they would spend their lives together. He had bet the Sea Witch and had won. 

His thoughts turned toward his brother. Trowa, on the other hand, only had a short while left before he would die. He had to find a way to bring him and Quatre together.

He circled around the imposing building and nearly tripped over the body of a dead guardsman. Stunned, he stared. He had been one of the men who had dragged Trowa from the temple. Where was his brother, though?

"Looking for someone?" a voice hissed in his ear.

He tried to whirl around and punch the intruder, but Vanyel had already grabbed him around the waist and pressed a dagger against his ribs. "You're my revenge. I can hurt the prince through you. You're coming with me."

If he had his voice, he would have screamed out of pure rage, but without it, he had no choice but to go along… and plot.

TBC

* * *

Author's Notes: 

Augh! OOC Treize! Gomen nasaiiiiii! I've done such a horrible job on the characters. Someone shoot me now! At least the 3x4 and 1x2 action is coming back… I think. Ehehehe. Gomen for the typos, etc. I'm leaving this week and I'm rushing this thing. I'm gonna miss writing fanfiction, but such is life.

* * *

Replies to Reviews (Chapter 10): Err, chocolate, anyone? 

**Pandora-chan** Ooooh, wow, you had a good premonition! Hehehe, contrary to popular belief (snickers), I hate death fics. As much as I love angst, death is way too much for me. (still cowers from evil glare) Hehe, I know the feeling of being uninspired. I hate that feeling to bits, but there's no escaping it. I just hope you post Carnivale! soon enough so I could still be able to read it. Please! Playhouse? Err, is that the TxY fic? Oh, I'm much more inclined to the ToyaxYue pair. … (reads the rest of the review) Oi, that's blackmail! Darn it! I was actually debating on whether to end it in an Andersen way or to end it sappily happy. Guess you, ahem, persuasion won! Gah! Hehe, thanks for the review! (huggles)

**GundamPilot03** Whee! I'm so glad you loved that chappie! Erm, I still need Vanyel though… (checks whether he's too irreversibly damaged) Poor Gundam pilots, ah, the hell I put them through! I should be shot. Really. Hehehe, or not, I still wanna live! Hmmm… surviving the first year of college? (hastily tries to recall her first college year) I was 16 going on 17 at that time… first rule is don't act like a freshie. The sempais would swoop down on you, their prey, if you do. Don't get too lost around campus and try not to enter the wrong room. Try not to miss too much lectures 'cause you pay for every minute of the prof's time. And of course, ready yourself for the wild party nights, err, I mean, for the late nights/mornings you'll have because of studying, cramming, doing projects, etc. Gah. Oh, and don't worry about being a loner. It's just a lot easier if you have friends around though. Good luck in college! Nyehehe, lemme read your plot of 'insanely torturing Vanyel when I'm through with him just for the heck of it,' 'kay? I'm sure that'll put me through a lot of nights in the blasted dorm. Thanks for the review! (huggles)

**Amy Hirosaki** Ehehe, glad you like the chappie! Hmmm… did I succeed in typing my way out of that mess? I sure hope so! Nyaha, glad you like the plushies! They sure can revive anyone out of the deepest faint. So sorry about misunderstanding the 'peep's profiles' bit. I kept thinking it was a book of some sort. Ehehehe… (blushes) I read some of the author's profiles too when I get interested in their work. I hope you didn't read mine though. It's just full of crap. Oh, and I'm SO sorry if I didn't mention the fact that you added my story to your favorites… I was planning on just generally thanking you people in the last chapter. Thanks, btw, for adding my story as one of your favorites! But of course, a review from you is more special so… (huggles you extra hard) Thanks for the review!

**No one** Ehehehe… (lets you go from my stronghold) There, you can breath again! Awww, yeah, poor merpeople! Poor Heero too! He's so confused! Nyahaha! A far cry from the perfect soldier, ne? Oh well. I'm sure that everything is clear to him now. I hope. Hehe. 'Nyways, thanks for the review! (huggles you… gently this time)

**WandererWolf** Wai! You read the book too! Wai! (huggles you extra extra hard) I'm SO glad! I really just wanted a yaoi version of that book so, here it is! Casting isn't done by me though. My friend, Elana-chan, actually helped me in working out the characters into the storyline. Err, oh, sorry for replying to your (chapter 2) review in this chapter… Ehehehe… was too lazy… 'Nyways, thanks SO much for the review!

**Shadow fat** Hehe, yup! I was actually struggling with a few things in my fic and I had to look for a Tagalog-English dictionary. Yes, I'm stupid. Nyehehe, get your mob ready for next chappie! (hinthint) Oi, don't point sharp objects at anybody now, ne? You go to net cafes? They're pretty dangerous, ya know. My friends told me that when she was at a net caf somewhere in Makati, two people came in and robbed the people in the caf of their wallets and cell phones. My friend wasn't a victim 'cause she went in a bit after the incident and everyone was talking about it. Gah. Oh well. I always go to Netopia though.. Hehehe, cappuccino? Yum! Waaaah! I'm gonna finish this crap, I swear! And you won't know where I am 'cause I'm joining the NPA next week! Really. (tries in vain to hide from the pointy pitchfork) Oh, and I guess your questions have been answered in this chappie, ne? Thanks for the review! (hugggles)

**fruit of Eos** Eos? Is there an 'Eos' in "Ai no Kusabi?" Hmmm… (wonders) Ehehehe, err gomen for sidetracking… or something. I'm sorry for the overbearing turmoil last chapter! I hope this chapter appeases you somewhat. Ewww, hernia! Err, I mean, don't have a hernia yet! Calm down and try to relax (your innards snickers). I tried to update once a week and I actually updated pretty fast this week. Whee! Oh, last chappie's next so you have fair warning. Smut? (nosebleeds) I'll try to insert as much passion (nosebleeds more) into the last chapter, but don't really count on it. I write the crappiest lemons ever, that's why I won't even think about posting them. Besides, at the last few chapters, they were too preoccupied with other _pressing _matters so… (the blood actually starts gushing out) Gah! Err, thanks for the review! (huggles)


	13. Part 12

Disclaimer: All characters mentioned belong in the animé series Gundam Wing. The plot is taken from the book _Midnight Pearls _by Debbie Viguié. Please don't sue me…?

Summary: _A mermaid story like never before. _They say that the prince was bonded to a boy who was not what he appeared and that another boy who saved the kingdom vanished without a trace. Some said it was witchcraft. Some said it was only a legend. For those who knew the truth, it was magic… (3x4 and 1x2)

Gomen minna. I apologize for the lateness of the last chapter. My dorm life is hell. No privacy, no freedom, no fun… I hate my life.

**Midnight Pearls**

By _Ninetails_

_These words are my own, they're from my heart_

_I love you, I love you, That's all I got to say_

_Can't think of a better way, and that's all I got to say_

_I love you, is that ok?_

These Words by Natasha Bedingfield

Chapter 12

There was only about a half-hour left until sunset. Quatre stood inches from the water. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.

"I love you, Quatre," Trowa whispered in his ear.

"I love you too."

He looked at his beautiful face, lit by the light of the setting sun. Trowa looked so vulnerable as he stood there, patiently waiting for his actions. Quatre kissed him and he kissed back, equally fervent lips clashing to affirm a wordless bond. His gently caressing lips sent shivers down Quatre's back and all he could do was clutch his broad shoulders, feeling too dazed by his mere presence. At last he pulled back and looked at him, brushing a lock of auburn hair out of Trowa's face.

Trowa had said that the prince must agree to bond with Duo by sunset or he would die. Trowa hadn't told him though about the bargain he struck with the Sea Witch, but he guessed it was something similar.

"When this is all over, Trowa, I will bond with you," Quatre promised him.

A mingled look of joy and despair crossed Trowa's face, and he kissed him again. Quatre was puzzled at his expression, but did not have the time to question him about it.

"I wish I could go with you."

"I know but this is something I have to do by myself."

Trowa nodded. "Just remember, the pearls are the key to the Witch's power. Without them, she is nothing."

Quatre moved away from him and took a step toward the ocean. He stood at the water's edge, with fear sending icy tendrils to his heart. He clasped the pearl in his hand. The cold water lapped at his toes. _I was playing with Trowa by a sunken boat, _he recalledHe took a step into the water. _He was my best friend. _He took another step, the water lapping against both his ankles. _It was almost dinnertime, and I left to go home. _Another step and the waves lapped at his calves. _A shadow darkened the water, and I turned to see what it was. _The water was swirling around his knees.

_The Sea Witch was there, more terrible than Father had said she was. _His trousers slogged against his legs as the water slowly soaked it. _She grabbed me and I couldn't fight her, she was too strong. She clamped her hand over my mouth so I could not scream._ The water was at his hips and growing deeper. _She took me back to her cave. _The water was chest-deep and warm, so very warm. _She cursed me. She turned me into a human. _He looked down, and he felt the change coming over his legs. _She told me I was nobody, nothing. She wasn't interested in me, She just wanted to hurt my family. _His unbound hair was floating on top of the water and it began to glow a dull gold. _She sent me to the surface to either drown or live upon the land. I snatched this pearl from her necklace before the seas tossed me upward. _His clothes fell from him, the beautiful ceremonial clothing drifting away with the current. Through the light of his hair he saw his legs disappearing, merging into a shimmering tail covered with scales… _She said that if I returned to the ocean I would die. _He took in his merman body, noticing the way his skin shone under the water. _She was wrong about that. She said I was nothing, that I could not harm her. _He clutched the pearl around his neck. The Witch was wrong about that too.

With a flick of his tail, he dove beneath the surface. He breathed the water as naturally as though he had never forgotten how. He was Lord Raberba, child of the mer-kin.

He remembered.

He remembered everything, including where to find the witch.

* * *

Trowa heard the splash as Quatre dove beneath the surface of the water. It had worked. He had broken the spell binding him into human form. Trowa sank to a seat on the beach, overcome with emotion. Quatre had agreed to be bonded with him. He had saved his life while yet cursing him to live out his days as a human. Now that Quatre was once again a merman, they were again of two separate worlds.

Trowa had lost him a second time.

He sat and waited, counting out the minutes in his head and feeling the retreating rays of the sun upon his skin. The minutes of Duo's life were slipping away, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Just as he judged that time was nearly up, pain ripped through him. He screamed and fell backward, writhing on the sand.

* * *

Quatre dove farther down into the darkness, the light from his hair all he needed to see his way. His people had defeated the Sea Witch, Trowa had said, but they had been unable to kill her. They had locked her instead in a set of underwater caves from which she should not have been able to escape.

She had, though. She had harnessed the magic from an ancient strand of midnight pearls to enable her to come and go out of her prison as she pleased. She had left the cave and kidnapped Quatre. His father had warned him never to go near the caves where the Witch lived, not dreaming that it would make no difference where he was.

He swam swiftly, his tail working better than his legs ever had. He thought about Duo when he had led him through the castle to see Trowa. Within a couple of days the young man was moving with more grace on land than Quatre had managed to achieve in thirteen years. He shook his head, astounded. At the action, his long hair floated around him, lightly illuminating the immediate vicinity. The view was breathtaking. He almost forgot how beautiful the world out of the land truly was.

The water rushed by his skin, cold and comforting, welcoming him home. He wondered if his parents had ever had another child; he had been their first born. He remembered his mother's gentle touch, his father's strong embrace. He could almost feel the beautiful smile of his favorite cousin, Zechs, sending waves of warmth to his heart. He longed to see them again, to be with them. First, though, he had business with the Sea Witch.

A dolphin came close to him, whistling a greeting. He approached so close that Quatre was able to reach out and touch him. He thrilled at the contact, and at the memory of riding upon one as a child. Mer-kin could communicate with the creatures of the sea, he remembered. Together, they spiraled downward until he finally broke off to return to the surface. Quatre continued onward.

At last he was close to the Witch's lair. He could feel it in the water around him, in the way the cold suddenly began to seep into his bones. His heart trembled for a moment, but he pressed on. He was no longer a child, helpless to defend himself against the Witch. He was a man, and he, too, had magic.

At the entrance to the caves he stopped and hovered in the water, tail flipping slowly back and forth.

"Come in," a voice called out to him. It washed over him, slippery as a serpent.

"Why don't you come out?" Quatre taunted.

There was a poignant silence, and then the Witch appeared just inside the entrance of the cave. "Come in, my child, and I can help you with whatever you desire."

"Can't you come out to me?" Quatre asked, all innocence. "I'm afraid of the dark."

"Unfortunately, my dear, I cannot leave these caves. They are my home."

"I can leave my home, why can't you leave yours?"

"I was cursed, child, cursed to live my life in these caves never to step outside."

"I thought I saw you outside the cave before."

"You must be mistaken. Now come inside and we can discuss you and what you came here to ask for," the Witch said, sounding irritated.

"So, you are unable to ever leave?"

The Witch stroked her pearls. "Apparently. Now, what is it you are here for? Are you looking for love, fame, or perhaps are you searching for something you have lost?"

"Actually, I'm here to discuss something you have lost," Quatre said. He held out the necklace with the pearl on it.

"Give that to me!" the Witch shrieked, flinging herself forward. The pearls around her neck were glowing bright; the glow was strange, though, since it seemed to add to the gloom of the caves. At the very lip of the cave she slammed into some sort of invisible wall and was instantly thrown backward.

"So, without the entire set of pearls, you really are powerless to leave here," Quatre noted as the Witch gathered herself up, glowering.

"The only way you can harm mer-kin is to get them to come inside to you. Without this one tiny pearl, you can no longer come out to them." He slipped the necklace back on. "It's ironic, don't you think, that in kidnapping me, you doomed yourself? I was able to live a full life on the land, while you were trapped here in your caves. I guess you could say that you lost more than I did, especially since I had no memory of the life I left behind."

Power surged through Quatre, and he drifted to within a half inch of the barrier, daring the Witch to try to snatch the pearl from around his neck. The foul creature tried, flinging herself against the barrier only to be repulsed once more.

"I had thought of killing you," Quatre answered. "But death would be far too kind for you. Instead, I'm going to let you live out your days here, alone. And mark my words, I shall see to it that no mer-kin ever enters your lair again."

"Who are you?" the Witch whispered, her face contorted into an ugly snarl.

He laughed and floated backward in the water. "I am Raberba, lord of the mer-kin, kidnapped by you and sent to live among humans." He smiled slyly. "But you can call me Quatre."

He stroked the pearl around his neck, and a low rumble filled the water. "I renounce your magic. I restore those whom you have cursed. And you, you are nothing more than a bad dream."

A slab of rock from higher up on the mountain slid down and covered the entrance to the caves, sealing the Witch in and keeping all others out. As the stone settled into place, even the scream of the Sea Witch was lost, sealed in for eternity.

Quatre turned and shot back toward the surface, swimming as fast as he could. The magic binding the Witch to the caves had been strong, and only the strength of all the pearls together could break it. Each individual pearl was powerful, but it needed all of them to overcome the other magic that had been used to banish the Witch. Without the one pearl that he had taken from the Witch, she had been unable to overcome the magic binding her to the cave. There was a lot of power in that one little pearl, enough to allow Quatre to do what he needed.

* * *

His vision returned in a sudden, crippling blow. He saw the last ray of the setting sun disappear beneath the horizon. What was happening? He tried to sit up but could not. He glanced downward and saw his legs growing back into a tail. He began to gasp, the air searing his lungs. He flipped over on his stomach and dug his hands into the sand, propelling himself toward the water.

When the pain stopped and his head cleared, he realized that Quatre had done it. He had defeated the Sea Witch and in the process had reversed all of her spells. He turned to search the waves for Quatre, eager to see him. Suddenly, fear knifed through him. _Duo!_ Duo would be transformed back into a merman, too, and he was still in the middle of the village.

* * *

Duo screamed as the transformation began. He recognized it for what it was and wailed in anguish. _Not now! _Heero had asked to be bonded with him. He couldn't go back!

Vanyel clutched him tighter. "Stop struggling," the taller man hissed in his ear.

He couldn't help it. As the pain overtook him, he writhed in agony. Vanyel cursed at him, but he was beyond caring about him and his schemes. No! Fear ripped through him as he began to gasp for breath.

Vanyel screamed as Duo's scales rose up from his back and pierced his body. Then the marquis collapsed into the ground and fell atop him. He gasped once, and then lay still. Duo knew that he was dead.

Villagers came running and when they saw his tail and the dead marquis, they began to shout. Many hands grabbed at him, and he didn't have the strength to fight them off.

"Demon!" someone yelled, and the others took up the shout. Duo's head swam as he continued to gasp for breath. Suddenly he was lifted into the air, his unbound hair mercilessly pulled and tugged as the mob placed him against a post and lashed him to it. The ropes cut into his skin until his blood flowed freely.

He stared blankly form face to face; they all began to blur in his vision. At last his sight faded, and everything went black.

* * *

Quaterina was worried. She and Rashid had left the holy temple in search of Quatre but had been unable to find him. They couldn't even find Duo or the prince. Frustrated, they began walking through the village, looking for familiar faces.

"Do you think he would have gone to the ocean?"

"It seems to me that's where he goes whenever he's upset," Rashid answered.

Together, they turned and began walking toward the water. Quaterina just hoped Quatre was all right. She sighed. The last few days had not been easy on anyone, but who could have anticipated all this?

Suddenly, she stopped, listening. "Do you hear that?" she asked.

Rashid stopped and listened too. "Sounds like someone shouting."

"Sounds like several people."

Then one word rang clear through the air. Someone cried, "Demon!"

Quaterina turned and began to run back the way they had come. Her blood turned to ice water in her veins. It was a word she had long prayed not to hear, and on today, of all days, it was not a good omen.

Shouts of anger spurred Quaterina on to run even faster. When they reached the square, her heart flew into her throat. There was a boy lashed to a wooden beam. Flames were licking at his feet. The fire reflected golden on his flowing hair. _Quatre!_

"No!" Quaterina screamed as she raced forward. Beside her she heard Rashid shouting.

She picked up a bucket of water standing nearby and doused the flames as Rashid shouted at the angry crowd.

She glanced up at the face of the boy and felt herself sag in relief. It was Duo. Something was wrong with him, though, he was too still. It was then that Quaterina saw the tail where the boy's legs had once been. She gasped aloud. _A merman! _Suddenly everything made sense. Tears swam in her eyes. This, then, was what her Quatre was as well.

Duo was so still, Quaterina thought he might already be dead. She couldn't let herself think that way, though. If the boy was a merman, then he was like a fish. Fish didn't do well outside of water, but some could certainly live longer than others.

She picked up another bucket of water and doused him with it, aiming at his face and torso. Duo gasped, and his chest heaved as the water entered his mouth.

Villagers jumped back with shouts of "Witchcraft" on their lips.

Rashid's voice boomed out. "Aye, 'tis witchcraft, but not of this young one's choice. He had been cursed by an evil Witch."

_Good thinking, Rashid,_ Quaterina thought.

The crowd quieted slightly, listening to what he had to say. "It is part of a plot to kill our beloved king. The king lives, though, and this boy helped save him. That's why the Witch has tried to kill him."

He pointed to the body of the fallen marquis. "Behold, the marquis was another victim of her evil."

There were murmurs of anxiety as everyone began to drop on their knees in fervent prayer, a few more lifting their hands to the Light. Suddenly there was a shout, and the crowd parted as though by magic.

Prince Heero strode up to them. "What is happening here?" he boomed.

He saw Duo, and his face turned ash white. For a moment Quaterina was afraid he would faint. He regained his composure, though, and turned to the crowd. "It is true, what this man says. An evil Witch has attacked the kingdom. We have, all of us, been saved, though, by this boy and by Quatre."

Ragged cheering rose as Quaterina helped Heero cut the ropes binding Duo to the post. He slumped into Heero's arms, and Quaterina splashed more water on his face.

"You must get him to the sea, and quickly, Your Highness," she advised the distraught prince.

He looked at her with tears in his eyes. "Yes, of course, you are right."

He picked Duo up and called for a horse. One was at his side in a moment, and he mounted with Duo in his arms. He kicked the beast into action, and Quaterina and Rashid ran in its wake.

"How did you know the king was all right?" Quaterina gasped as they ran.

"I didn't, I was bluffing," Rashid admitted.

They arrived at the ocean shortly after Heero did. The prince was crouching in the water, holding Duo and splashing water over his face. As they watched, the boy began to move and finally he looked up at the one embracing him. Heero bent down and kissed him once. Duo then slipped from his arms and into the sea.

Quaterina rushed forward but hesitated when she reached the prince. He looked up at her. "Quatre too?" he asked.

"I think so," she whispered as she crouched beside him. They knelt together in the water, mourning.

* * *

Quatre broke the surface of the water near the beach. He scanned it for a sign of Trowa, but there was none. That was a good sign that what he had done had worked. He flipped his tail up and slapped it on the surface of the water.

Moments later, Trowa's head popped up. Delighted, Quatre ducked back beneath the water and swam to him. Trowa met him halfway and caught his ecstatic form in his arms. Their tails wrapped around each other as they kissed.

Trowa's hands roamed his back, and Quatre arched at the sensation. He threaded his fingers in Trowa's hair, feeling its silkiness as it was caressed by his fingers and the warm sea water. He was drawn closer to Trowa's body, and he could feel his warm chest and the rapid heartbeat mirroring his own. At last they broke apart after a last lingering kiss. "Duo?" Quatre said.

A cloud passed across Trowa's face. "I don't think he made it," he said. "When you broke all the spells the Sea Witch had cast, it turned me back into a merman. I barely made it into the water. Duo was still in the village. I don't know how he could have made it."

"I am so sorry, Trowa," Quatre said, voice and body trembling as he wrapped his arms around his love's broader frame.

"It's not your fault. There was nothing we could do," Trowa said, his voice sending shivers of warm pleasure down Quatre's entire being.

They drifted closer to the shore, holding each other, comforting each other. Slowly, a new sound intruded upon Quatre's subconscious. It was a splashing sound. He lifted his head out of the water and stared toward the shore.

He saw Quaterina and Rashid on the shore. Heero was in the water and he was holding something. _Duo!_

Quickly, he and Trowa headed for them. Before they made it there, a new sound emerged in the water, and suddenly Duo collided with them. He was wide-eyed with despair and threw himself into Trowa's arms. He held his younger brother close, trying to soothe him, and Quatre lifted his head out of the water again. He saw Quaterina and Rashid huddled together in the water and he could feel their pain.

He ducked back down and looked at Duo. "Duo, do you love him?" he asked him gently.

"Yes," he softly said, violet eyes filled with gloom as he turned to look at Quatre.

"Do you love him enough to live out there with him?"

"Of course. He had asked me to be bonded with him and I would have stayed with him, gladly," he answered with conviction and he slowly seemed to be steeling himself.

"Come with me then," Quatre said, grabbing the other merman's hand.

They swam toward the shore, Trowa following them. When they were close to Quaterina and Rashid, they stopped and broke the surface. "Heero," Quatre called.

He looked up, startled. They joy that flooded his face made Quatre's heart sing. He had always been his dearest friend. He had given him so much, and now there was something that he could give him. The other two hung back as he moved toward Heero.

"How long have you known?" he asked Quatre wonderingly.

"Only a day," he told him, still a bit unsure if Heero would truly believe him. _But he believes in magic, doesn't he?_ "I was kidnapped as a child and turned into a human by the Sea Witch."

Heero laughed through his tears, and it made Quatre laugh too. He never knew that his friend could show such emotions. "I always told you there was magic in the world."

"And you were right," Quatre told him. "Do you love Duo?"

Despair overwhelmed his beautiful eyes. "I do."

"Would you bond with him if he could live in this world?"

"Tonight, if he would consent."

Quatre turned to Quaterina and Rashid, who had come up beside him. "Would you both watch after Duo as though he were your own son?"

"As though he were you," Quaterina said, touching his face tenderly and he leaned into her familiar touch.

Mind resolute, he then nodded and turned. "Duo," he called.

The other merman floated up, fear and hope mixing in his eyes. Quatre took the necklace from his neck and placed it around Duo's. "The pearl is magic, and I want you to keep it safe for me. It will help you be who you truly are. You just need to look in your own heart."

Duo closed his eyes. "I want to be that which I truly am inside," he said, clutching the pearl to his chest.

Before Quatre's eyes, Duo's tail split once more into legs, and his skin lost its scales. Slowly he stood out of the sea and Heero stood with him, wrapping his arms around him and kissing him. Heero pulled back to look deeply into his eyes, and Duo said the words he longed to say ever since he set eyes on his prince.

"I love you."

Quaterina smiled up at them before turning back to Quatre. "I'm going to miss you, son."

"And I, you, Mama," Quatre told her, reaching up to embrace her with all his might.

Quaterina nodded to Trowa. "Make sure he takes good care of you."

"I will, Mama."

"And make sure you come to visit from time to time," Rashid added gruffly

"Papa, look out for your nets," Quatre laughed as he hugged him.

They parted, and Trowa swam forward, taking Quatre's hand. Together they turned and dove into the ocean.

Quatre was sad to leave the others behind, but his heart lifted the deeper they went_. I can always go back and visit, _he told himself.

"Do you still want to bond with me?" Trowa asked as they swam.

Quatre turned to him. "More than ever."

A smile broke across his face, half-concealed by his hair, and Quatre reached out to gently move his hair to see the entirety of his smile. Trowa kissed the fingers on his face, and they dove together, racing around each other.

After a while Quatre could see a tiny pinprick of light ahead in the darkness. It grew brighter as they drew near. _Home,_ he realized with a thrill.

"Are you nervous?" Trowa asked.

He nodded. "A little bit."

He grinned as he grabbed Quatre's hand. "Don't worry. You defeated the Sea Witch today. This will be easy."

Quatre smiled into his emerald eyes and held his gaze as they sailed into the sphere of light. They stopped, and he looked around cautiously. Dozens of mer-kin surrounded them, with dozens more arriving by the second. An older merman with a wreath of shining pearl-laden seaweed on his brow came to the front. "Son!"

"Father!" Trowa cried, embracing the other.

"Where's your brother?"

"It's a long story, Father, but he's safe and sound. Right now, I'd like to introduce you to someone. His name is Quatre, but we all know him as Raberba."

"Raberba?" he gasped.

Trowa nodded as the cry was taken up by the rest. Trowa squeezed his hand, giving him strength. Suddenly the cry died down and a path cleared. An older couple swam toward them. They each wore a crown of seaweed strewn with white pearls.

"Mother! Father!" Quatre cried, recognizing them. He let go of Trowa's hand and flew into their outstretched arms. They held him close, and all three babbled incoherently. A fourth figure joined them and Quatre was once again ensconced in warm arms as Zechs hugged him.

Minutes passed before his father regained his composure and stretched out his arm to Trowa. The other merman joined them.

"I owe you a great debt for restoring our son to us," his father said as he bowed to him.

"Your son has consented to be bonded with me, that is all I need."

He beamed upon them both. "Well then, let's get this holiest of ceremonies underway. I believe the two of you have waited long enough. After all, a seventeen-year engagement must be a record."

As he laughed, Quatre felt encompassed by warmth and understanding. As Trowa's lips met his, he knew that he had found the home he had been searching for.

Owari... Really

* * *

Author's Notes:

Yegads! That was awful! I should start hiding in fear of angry mobs. I'm SO sorry for the uber late update. I won't have the time to write any more fics or even revise this one. Gomen! I'm gonna miss all of you! For everyone who put my story in their favorites (this means you, Amy Hirosaki), thank you! For everyone who reviewed, you kept me going. For everyone who read this piece of crap, I admire you all. Thanks, minna!

If any of you still have questions, just mail me at If anyone still dares review this (thanks in advance!), please leave an e-mail add so when I get the time, I could answer your review, 'kay?

Thanks! And now, I gotta go concentrate on surviving the hell that is my life.

* * *

Replies to Reviews (Chapter 11): You people are the best _ever_. Your reviews and comments (and a few veiled threats) were the motivators for this fic. I love you all so much! Thank you for sharing this wonderful experience with me. God I sound so pathetic. A celebratory piece of cake for everyone!

**Shinigami-Heero** Ehehehe, you love a story where the people are tortured? Ehehehe, wai! Goodie! I love angst too! Mwahahaha! Err, gomen for that. Oh, and now you know what happens. I hope you weren't too disappointed. And yes, this is the last chapter. Thanks SO much for reviewing! (huggles you extra hard)

**Amy Hirosaki** Wai! I'm glad you're alright with my characterization of Treize! I'm sure everyone was OOC, but it couldn't be helped with Au fics, ne? Ehehehe… Or maybe I'm just making excuses. (shrugs) Waaah! Don't do anything bad for me! They all ended happy so please don't hurt me! Waaah! (runs around screaming) Thanks, I just hope that you're not too disappointed with the ending. Wai! I'm glad you're alright with my characterization of Treize! I'm sure everyone was OOC, but it couldn't be helped with Au fics, ne? Ehehehe… Or maybe I'm just making excuses. (shrugs)

**Dentelle-noir** … (starts having a seizure) Oh. My…. Ahem. Ehehehe, I know how you feel. I now have limited net access, damned dorm life. Err, before I start ranting about the hell that is my college life now, I just want to comment on a similarity of ours. I usually save the fics I think are interesting and print them out (since I print about 10 fics, I make the font size 6. And yes, it's possible to read.) so I don't get much chance to review too. Of course, when I net again, I'm just too lazy to appreciate the authors who work so hard to write such great fics. Gah. I'm horrible. I'm the one who's uberly flattered! To tell you the truth, my love for GW fics have phased out. But I'm into a bit of 13x5 (ever read "The Purr-fect House Guest" and other AU 13x5 fics) and of course, 3x4. I was lucky to have stumbled upon your fic. It's one of the few 3x4 fics I read. Shine Q's fics are great too, but I really don't like "The Game of Hide and Seek." I love her "The Ventriloquist" though. Wai! Needless to say, I love "Wilderness" to bits! Aw, their first lover's spat. How cute! Wai! Trowa deserves to suffer, mwahahaha! Have you noticed the recurring theme in my preferences? I'm weird, I know. I really can't wait to know what happens next. And you got down ALL my favorite pairings too! Good girl! I just hope I have the time to read fics. Darned college life! Err, and since my college life (is hell!) will be pretty hectic, I won't have time to write fics anymore. Gomen nasai! They're crappy anyway. Ehehehe, this is the last chapter though, so… Wai! If you still somehow want to review this last chapter, I might e-mail you… if I have the time, that is. Darned college life. Thanks SO much for the wonderful review! (huggles you extra extra hard)

**No one** Ehehehe… poor fish!(snickers) I just hope you liked the way the "happily ever after " was written. Thanks SO much for the review! (huggles you extra hard)

**fruits of Eos** Ehehehe, don't worry, I write crazed reviews too so… Err… (scratches head) Yeah. That made no sense. Gomen. It's now three in the morning. Gah. Ehehe, glad you weren't too bothered by the OOCs. I know it's an AU fic and I have a good excuse for the OOCness but some people are too… particular. Gah. Um, gomen, still no smut. I did up the limeish (or is it citrus-y?) factor a notch. Yeah, lame excuse. I really can't write smut, or even write lime. I'm such a crappy author! Uwaaah! Oh well. Thanks SO much for the review! (huggles you extra hard)

**humanwings** Yegads! Go do your homework first! Well, I don't, but that's beside the point! Waaah! I'm a bad influence! (bawls) Err, gomen. I know I'm weird. Ehehehehe… (sweatdrops) And yeah, this is a parody of The Little Mermaid. It's my favorite fairytale and I just wanted to pay tribute to its simple beauty so, here's the fic! Mwahahaha! Ehehehe, thanks for noticing that. I just changed it… I'm SO embarrassed. Thanks again! (huggles) Err, and I'm sorry for updating too slow! My college life suck right now, and it'll continue to do so for three years. Gah. I hate my life. Oh well. Thanks SO much for the review! (huggles you extra hard… again)

**Hikaru** … Mwahahahaha! We laugh almost the same way! Err… Ahem. 'Nyways, well, the story's not sad anymore, ne? I just hope you weren't too disappointed with the ending. Wah! Oh, and I'm SO sorry for taking too long in updating. Too much college shit. Oh well. Thanks SO much for the review! (huggles you extra hard)

**Pandora-chan** Ehehehe, gomen for the suspense. I was toying with the idea of making this an Anderson ending (I think I mentioned it sometime somewhere…) but, well, the happiness (or fluff?) won out. Ehehehe. I'm glad you like ToyaxYue more. It's more aesthetically pleasing; the operative word being 'more,' of course. Err, well, my love for CCS fics has diminished a loooong time ago so… gomen nasai! I couldn't read fics nowadays too. My college life is hell. Gah. Ehehehe, I didn't pay much attention to the series too! I found the whole political thing a bit boring. Oh well. I watched the dubbed version though and everyone I know insisted that the subbed version is better. I really just wanted to stare at the GW guys and catch the little yaoi hints that are too prevalent in the series. Ehehehe, good luck on your fanfiction schemes. Continue to make good yaoi fanfiction. And thanks SO much for the review! (huggles you extra hard)

**El Terrible Fizzy** Ehehehe, I'm glad you loved it. I'm SO sorry for taking too long though. As I keep telling everyone, my college life sucks. I'm sorry to since this is the last chapter of Out of the Sea. I hope you're not too disappointed with the outcome. Wait, POCKY! Wai! Pocky! I love Pocky! Especially chocolate pocky! Wai! Waaah! I want to watch the FMA series but I don't have the time. I have a friend though who's watching it (she hasn't finished, though) and she's making me SOOO jealous. Roy and Ed are SO gorgeous! (drools) Good luck with that ficcie! Thanks SO much for the review! (huggles you extra hard)

I'M SORRY. MINNA! IT'S 3:30 IN THE MORNING AND I HAVE TO GET BACK TO MY DORM TODAY. GAH. I HATE MY DORM. OH WELL. AND SINCE IT'S AN UNHOLY HOUR IN THE MORNING, MY BRAIN REALLY AIN'T FUNCTIONING, SO I'M GONNA STALL REPLYING TO THE REST OF YOUR REVIEWS (FOR CHAPTER 11) ON A LATER DATE. I'M REALLY SO SORRY, BUT IT'S A STRUGGLE TO TYPE AND KEEP MY EYES OPEN. I JUST WANNA THANK ALL OF YOU FOR THE WONDERFUL REVIEWS YOU'VE GIVEN ME AND I WILL GIVE THEM A REPLY AS SOON AS I GET THE CHANCE. (This goes to you, Shadow fat, GundamPilot03, Mikki Amboree, DemiSaiyan and Shin-chan.)

I just realized that I'm turning 19 in less than a week's time. Gah. I am old. Um, sorry for offending anyone out there (hides under convenient… towel). Oh, Happy Fathers Day everyone! (or rather, to all your fathers. It's already June 19 here soo…)


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